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Voyage? iq the ^mkn pacific. 

NARRATIVE OF SEVERAL TRADING VOY- 
AGES FROM 1813 TO 1818, BETWEEN 
THE NORTHWEST COAST OF AMERICA, 
THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS AND CHINA, 
WITH A DESCRIPTION OF THE RUSSIAN 
ESTABLISHMENTS ON THE NORTH- 
WEST COAST. 



INTERESTING EARLY ACCOUNT OF KAME- 

HAMEHA'S REALM; MANNERS AND 

CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE, ETC. 



And Sketch of a cruise in the Service of the 

Independents of Soutij. America in 1819, by 

PETER 9ORNEY. 



With Preface and Appendix of Valuable Con- 
firmatory Letters Prepared by 
PROF. W. D. ALEXANDER. 



THOS. G. THRUM, Publisher.. 

Honolulu, H. I. 

1896. 



r^^n^ 



■0 



Reprinted from The London Literary Gazette of 1821. 



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a898. 



""■■^-Kof wAsua'Al^ 



PREFACE. 

The following narrative by Mr. Peter Corney 
is now published in a separate form for the first 
time. As may be seen, it was first published 
serially in a weekly literary magazine in London, 
during the 3^ear 1821. 

It seems to have been entirely over looked by 
the historians of the North-west Coast of America 
as well as by those of the Hawaiian Islands. It 
even escaped the researches of the indefatigable 
H. H. Bancroft and of Robt. Greenhow, the 
historian of Oregon. 

The author was once well known in Honolulu, 
and has a number of descendants living here. 
He died in 1836, on board of the bark Columbia^ 
while on his way to w^hat is now called British 
Columbia, where he was to occupy a responsible 
position in the service of the Hudson's Bay Com- 
pany. In consequence of his death his wife and 
children decided to remain in Honolulu, instead 
of continuing their voyage to the North-west 
Coast. 

His narrative is a valuable contribution to the 
history not only of the North-west Coast, but 
also of the Hawaiian Islands. In particular, it 
throws much light on the proceedings of the 



IV PREFACE. 

Russians here in 1815 — 1817, on the mutiny and 
piracy of the crew of the Argentine cruiser, 
Santa Rosa, her recapture by Capt. Bouchard 
of the frig-ate Argentina, and their homeward 
voyage, including the sack and burning of Mon- 
terey, CaHfornia. It is also valuable as contain- 
ing an account by a fair-minded eye-witness of 
the state of things in the islands near the close of 
Kamehameha's reign, which confirms the state- 
ments made by Alexander Campbell, James 
Hunnewell and other early visitors and residents. 

W. D. Alexander. 
Honolulu, April, 1896. 



CONTBNTS 



INTRODUCTORY. 

Observations on importance of N , W,^ Sandwich Isl- 
ands and China trade, — Russian designs for control, 
— Rapid civilization of Sandwich Islanders, — They 
desire intercourse with foreign traders, — Customs of 
other nations readily adopted, — Fur trade in hands 
of Americans, — Likely extinction of British influ- 
ence therein, — Opening up of Western country 
through to the Pacific, — Lewis and Clark's journey 
across the Rocky Mountains. — Variety of fur bear- 
ing animals observed, — Plans of Americans to 
fonn settlements; establish a town at the mouth of 
the Columbia River and found colonies on the Paci- 
fic Ocean shore, — Rapid growth of their population 
assures this, 

CHAPTER I. 

Arrival of the Ship Tonquin^ of Boston^ at the Colum- 
bia River y with Settlers, — Loss of a boat^ an officer, 
and six Men, in sounding a Passage, — Loss of 



VI CONTENTS. 

another Boat and two Men, — Miraculoics Escape of 
the Blacksmith, and a Sandwich Islander, — Settlers 
landed, — The Tonquin trades along the Northwest 
Coast, — Dreadful Catastrophe. — Resolute conduct 
of tJie Blacksmith. His Fate, and Fate of the 
Vessel and Crew, 

CHAPTER 11. 

Contimiation of the Account of the First Settlements on 
the River Columbia. — A Party sent over -land from 
Boston to form an Establishment. — Arrival of the 
Beaver: Plan of the Natives to take the Vessel frns- 
tated by an Indian Woman. — Trading Voyage of 
the Beaver to Norfolk Sound: collects a valuable 
Cargo of Furs: arrival at China. — Loss of the Lark 
of Boston off the Sandivich Islands. — The North- 
west Company obtain possession of the Settlement, 

— Voyage, d^c. of the Isaac Todd from London. — 
Melancholy Death of Mr, McTavish and four others, 

— Voyage of the Columbia, in which the author was 
chief Officer. — Alarming Mutiny: Arrival at the 
Columbia, 

CHAPTER III. 

The Schooner is repaired, and Mutineers sent into the 
interior ; sail from the Columbia river. — Arrive at 
New Archangel or Norfolk Sound, and purchase a 
cargo of furs ; return to the Columbia river, com- 
plete the cargo of furs for China, and of goods for 
the Spanish Main. Sail for Monterey for the pur- 
pose of forming a factory, to supply the establishment 



CONTENTS. Vll 

on the Columbia river with provisions. — Spaniards 
refuse to allow this, hut suffer a cooper to remain to 
cure provisions. — Sail for Bodago, — Russians refuse 
to allow the gentlemen to remain till our return 
from Canton. — Arrival at Owyhee (Hawaii), — 
Visited by the king. — Natives crowd on board, — 
A summary method to get rid of them-. — Two gentle- 
men of the N, W. Company land at Owhyee to wait 
our return, — Sail for and arrival at Canton. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Captain Robson gives up the command of the schooner 
Columbia; Captain Jennings appointed to succeed 
him, — Some particulars respecting Captain yen- 
nings, — Sail from Canton. — Lost a man overboard, 
— Arrive at the Columbia river. — Massacre of 
three persons belonging to the Fort. — Assassins 
discovered and shot. — Aiiother Voyage to Monte- 
rey; plenty of Provisions collected by the Cooper, 
— Description of the Town and Company. 

CHAPTER V. 

Takes cargo for the Russians at Norfolk Sound, — 
Symptoms of mutiny, — Arrival, — Russian settlers 
for the Sandwich Islands. — Arrival at Columbia 
River, —Sail for Owyhee. — Trade with the Natives, 
Russian settlers on Owyhee. — Sail for Canton, — 
Return to Columbia River, — Man lost overboard. 
Arrival at Norfolk Sound,— Sail for the Straits 
of Oonalaska. — Arrival at the Island of St. Paul 
and St, George, — Method of preserving the breed 



Vlll CONTENTS. 

of Seals, — Mode of killing them, — Singular pro, 
perty of the Seal. — Arrive at Oonalaska, — De- 
scription of the Town. — Some Account of the 
Natives. 

CHAPTER VI. 

The Winter of iSi6, on the Columbia River. — Alarm- 
ing Fire. — Sail for the Sandwich Islands, — Ac- 
count of the Columbia, — Manners and Customs 
of the Natives, 

CHAPTER VII. 

Royal Family. — A necdote. — Native Tribes. — Religious 
Ideas. — Habits. — Climate. — Traffic. — Slave Trade 
by the Americans; their Practices; instance of 
Captain Ayres. — Animals; War Canoes. — Voyage 
to the Sandwich Islands; notice of several of these, 
— The King's Mercantile Speculations . — New Rus- 
sian Establishment. — Method of curing Pork, — 
Norfolk Sound. — jealousy of the Russians, — 
Native Women. — Hostility between the Natives 
and Russiafis. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Cape Edgecombe ; Navigation. — The precautions of 
the Russians to prevent Trade, — Return to the 
Columbia. — Trading Expedition along shore to 
Southward. — Natives near Cape Orford. — The 
Coast to the South. — Port Trinidad; the Natives 
there ; Misunderstanding ; Traffic; Decorum of the 



CONTENTS. IX 

Females; their Dress ; extraordinary Tattooing of 
the Tongue^ etc., Massacre of a Spanish Crew; 
Character of the People; Dij^culties in getting 
out the Vessel. — Arrive at Bodago Bay. — The 
Russians and Natives, — Account of the Russian 
Settlement on Neiv Albion. — Prodigious Vegeta- 
tion . 

CHAPTER IX. 

Coasting Trade to Sir F. Drake's Harbour. — Return 
to Trinidad Bay. — Attacked by the Indians. — 
Return to Columbia. — Mission up the Country to 
the Cladsap Tribe; its Success. — Description of 
the Country. — The Northwest Company's Estab- 
lishmejit. 

CHAPTER X. 

Voyage to the Sandwich Islands ; various Transactions 
there; Superstitious Omen; Death of a Chief; 
Remarkable Funeral Ceremonies, Taboo, and Cus- 
toms connected with these Rites. — Whymea. — The 
Russian Intrigues with the Natives, and their 
consequences. — Different trading trips, to show the 
Nature of the Island Commerce. — The ship given 
up. — Situation of the Men on shore. 

CHAPTER XI. 

The Sandwich Islands. — A Patriot or Runaway Ship, 
— History of its change of Masters, Piracies and 
Plundering. 



X CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XII. 

Accoinit of the Sandwich Islands, — Woahoo. — 
Custoius, Etc, 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Account of the Customs in the Sandwich Islands^ 
continued, 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Account of the Sandwich Islanders continued, — Fe- 
male dress ; that of the men and chiefs. — Curious 
fishing. — Personal Adventure, — Mode of catching 
flying fish ^ etc, — Weather, — Ancient fort and novel 
fortifications, — Superstitious story, and its effects. 
— Their food, cooking, etc, 

CHAPTER XV. 

Proceedings of a Patriot Ship ; fate of the Mutineers 
of the Rosa ; execution of Mr, Griffiths, — The 
Author takes the Command of the Brig, — They 
destroy Monterey, — Other Proceedings in these 
Seas briefly noticed, — The Author returns ho?ne. 




EARLY 



VOYAQES 






INTRODUCTORY. 

Observations on importance of N. PF., Sandwich Isl- 
ands and China trade. — Russian designs for control, 
— Rapid civilization of Sandwich Islanders. — They 
desire intercourse with foreign traders. — Customs of 
other nations readily adopted. — Fur trade in hands 
of Americans. — Likely extinction of British influ- 
ence therein, — Opening up of Western country 
through to the Paciiic,-- Lewis and Clark's journey 
across the Rocky Mountains. — Variety of fur bear- 
ing animals observed. — Plans of Americans to 
form settlements: establish a town at the mouth of 
the Columbia River and found colonies on the Paci- 
fic Ocean shore. — Rapid growth of their population 
assures this. 

THE only object the author of this work has 
in making his observations on the trade 
between the north-west coast of America 
and the Sandwich Islands and China, is, to point 
out to the merchants of this country the vast trade 
that is carried on between those places b}^ the 
Americans and the Russians while an English flag 
is rarely to be seen. 

He would particularly wish to call the attention 
of the people of this country to the state of the 
Sandwich Islands, by pointing out their vast im- 
portance to the West-India merchants; also the 



2 PROGRESS OF SANDWICH ISLANDERS. 

rapid progress the natives are making towards 
civilization (unaided by missionaries) by improv- 
ing themselves, and cultivating an intercourse 
with other countries. The Russians are by no 
means ignorant of their importance, and have 
more than once attempted to obtain possession 
of them. To Russia they would be invaluable, 
as its colonists could cultivate sugar, tobacco, 
and coffee, and make rum. sufficient for the sup- 
ply of that vast empire. The effect which such 
a step would have on our West-India trade is too 
obvious to require any comment. However 
lightly the people of those islands may be thought 
of, there is an anxious wish on their part to culti- 
vate intercourse with those who will trade with 
them, and there exists a desire for improvenjent 
beyond the most sanguine hope, of those who 
wish to see.the condition of mankind bettered bj^ 
social intercourse. Their battery or fort at 
Woahoo (Oahu), where guard is mounted and 
relieved with as much regularity and form as at 
the Tower of London; the policy of the king in 
charging foreign vessels pilotage and harbor 
dues, because a brig that he had purchased from 
the Europeans and sent to China with sandal 
wood had been made to pay pilotage and harbor 
dues, will prove that they are ready to imitate 
the customs of civilized nations. 

The fur trade is now totally in the power of the 
Americans, as by the treaty of Ghent the estab- 
lishment on the Columbia was given up to that 
republic. The following efxtract from the Mon- 
treal Herald of the i8th April, 1820, will show 



WESTERN SETTLEMENTS EXTENDED. 3 

how far they are desirous of profiting- by their 
possessions: '' Military Expedition to the U^fer 
Missouri — The 6th reg'iment of infantry left Bell 
Fountain on the 4th October. Colonel Atkins 
commands the expedition. Thus the public have 
at length the satisfaction to see fairly embarked, 
this interesting expedition, on the security of 
which depends the accomxplishment of such 
might}'^ objects of the American people, viz : — the 
transfer of the fur trade from the English to the 
Americans; the extinction of British influence 
among American Indians, and the opening a 
direct intercourse with India by the Columbia 
and Missouri rivers." 

For several years past it has been a favorite 
object of the American government to open an 
easy communication from their western settle- 
ments to the Pacific Ocean, and the above para- 
graph indicates the steps which have been taken 
to realize this vast project. The most western 
settlements which the Americans have are on the 
Missouri, and from the mouth of the Columbia 
on the Pacific Ocean they are distant about 3,000 
miles. This immense space of desert territory, 
inhabited by Indian tribes, some of whom are 
hostile, presents obstacles of no ordinary kind to 
this scheme; while, at the same time, it is this 
very circumstance of the country being a wilder- 
ness, over which the Indian, and the wild beasts 
of the forest range undisturbed, that offers such 
peculiar inducement to the American design, 
not of colonizing the country, though this conse- 
quence would undoubtedly follow ; but of making 



4 FUR TRADE THE GREAT OBJECT. 

an immediate inroad on barbarism, by estab- 
lishing a chain of posts at the distance of 50 or 
100 miles along- the great rivers as far as the Paci- 
fic Ocean. The fur trade is the great object of 
attraction to settlers in this wilderness; and so 
lucrative is this traffic, that it is well calculated to 
excite a competition amongst rival states. It can 
only be. prosecuted by such nations as have a 
ready access to these deserts, where the wild 
animals which afford this valuable article of trade 
multiply undisturbed by civilized man. These 
nations are at present the British, whose pos- 
sessions of Canada secures them access to the 
north-western desert of America, the Americans, 
who have free access to the wilderness that 
lies betw^een their territories and the Pacific 
Ocean, and the llussians, w^hose immense empire- 
borders on the north-w^est coast of America, giving 
them ample opportunities, which they have duly 
improved, of establishing settlements on its shores ; 
of cultivating a friendly intercourse with the 
natives, and of exchanging European articles for 
the valuable furs which they collect in the course 
of their hunting excursions. The fur trade has 
been prosecuted with amazing enterprise and 
activity by the British Canadian companies. 
Every season they dispatch into the wilds a nu- 
merous body of their servants, clerks, and boat- 
men, amounting to about 800, who, traveling in 
canoes across the vast succession of lakes and 
rivers, which extend northwest nearly 3,000 
miles into the American continent, and are con- 
nected with the great Canadian lakes of Huron, 



ROCKY MOUNTAINS CROSSED. 5 

Superior, and Ontario, etc., bring back a valua- 
ble supply of furs from these remote regions, in 
exchange for such European articles as are in 
request among their savage customers. This 
trade having been prosecuted with such success 
by the British, the Americans seem in like man- 
ner resolved to profit by the vast tract of similar 
territory to which they have access. By the 
journey of Captains Lewis and Clark across the 
Rocky mouritains to the Pacific Ocean, the whole 
of that v/estern region is now laid open. Numer- 
ous adventurers have since crossed, by easier and 
better roads, this mountainous barrier where they 
found an open champaign country, well wooded 
and watered, and abounding in game. Captains 
Lewis and Clark were often astonished at the im- 
mense numbers of wild animals which they met 
with in all directions, consisting of bears, wolves, 
beavers, hares, foxes, racoons, etc., and various 
other animals, which are keenly pursued on 
account of their furs. 

The plan of the Americans seems therefore to 
be, to form settlements in this country with a view^ 
to a trade in its great stapje, namely fur; and hyi 
establishing a port w^hich would gradually grow 
up into a village or a town at the mouth of the 
Columbia River on the Pacific Ocean, they could 
thence transport their cargoes to the great Indian 
markets, in exchange for the valuable produce of 
the East. Such is the project contemplated, and 
if it succeed, it would have this important conse- 
quence, that it would lay the foundation of an 
American colony on the shores of the Pacific 



6 AMERICAN COLONIES. 

Ocean. The peopling of the American continent 
is at present going on at a rapid rate ; but by this 
means the seeds of population would be scattered 
with a more prodigal hand, and having once 
taken root, the shores of the Pacific would be 
quickly overspread with civilized inhabitants, 
drawing their support from the country in which 
they were settled, and in this respect independent 
of the parent state. 



CHAPTER I. 

Arrival of the Ship Tonqiiin, of Boston^ at the Colum- 
bia River, with Settlers. — Loss of a hoat^ an officer, 
and six Men, in sounding a Passage. — Loss of 
another Boat and two Men. — Miracnlons Escape of 
a Blacksmith, and a Sandwich Islander. — Settlers 
landed. — The Tonquin trades along the Northwest 
Coast. — Dreadful Catastrophe. — Resolute conduct 
of the Blacksmith. — His Fate^ and Fate of the 
Vessel and Crew. 

THE ship Tonquin,^ belong-ingto John Jacob 
Astor, left Boston about the year 1811, with 
settlers, for the purpose of forming an estab- 
lishment on the Columbia River. On their pas- 
sage out, they touched at the Sandwich Islands 
to fill up their water casks, and procure a supply 
of provisions. Captain Thorne encountered con- 
siderable difliculties from the disposition which 
his ship's company evinced to leave the vessel at 
these islands, and was even obliged to get the 
settlers to keep watch over them to prevent de- 
sertion : the boatswain, Peter Anderson, by some 
means, however, eluded the guard and escaped 
to the shore. The Tonquin arrived off the mouth 

* This pioneer ship of Astor's enterprise sailed from New York, 
September 8, 1810, under convoy for a time of the U. S. frigate 
Constitution. [Ed.] 



8 LOSS OF BOAT S CREW. 

of the Columbia in March, 1811. Captain Thorne 
not being acquainted with the harbor, dispatched 
a whale-boat, with an officer and six men, to 
sound the passage over the bar into the river. 
The ship was then under close reefed top-sails, 
and a strong gale blowing from the north-west, 
so that the iirst officer was much averse to going 
on this service; and it is rather singular, that 
previous to his leaving the Tonguin, he observed 
to Mr. McDougal, who was to be the governor 
of the establishment,. that he was going to lay his 
bones beside those of his uncle, who had perished 
in crossing the bar of the Columbia river a 3^ear 
or two before that time. In a quarter of an hour 
after the}^ left the ship, they hoisted a signal of 
distress, and then disappeared— thus seven men 
found a watery grave! The Tonquhi stood out 
to sea for the night, and in the morning again 
stood in, and another boat was ordered off under 
the command of the second officer Mr. Moffat, 
who peremptorily refused to go, observing, that 
he could see a passage better from the mast head. 
Captain Thorne then ordered a man, who was to 
have the command of a shallop (of which they 
had the frame on board), to take the command of 
the boat, with two Sandwich Islanders (several of 
whom they had on board for the establishment), 
the ship's blacksmith, and one sailor, Mr. Mc- 
Dougal having refused to let any of the settlers 
go on that service v/hich they looked on as little 
better than an act of insanity. Shortly after the 
boat had left the ship, she ran by it; the boat was 
then so close that the people asked for a rope; 



TWO OF SECOND CREW SAVED. 9 

but the vessel herself was in so perilous a situa- 
tion, that all on board had to attend to their own 
safety. She struck several times on the bar, and 
the sea made a fair breach over her; but they at 
length got under the north point, into Baker's 
bay. On the following day they saw a white 
man on the rocks, in the bay. Captain Thorne 
dispatched a boat, which returned with the black- 
smith, vv^ho had been in the second boat sent to 
sound the channel. The account he gave of 
himself was, that shortly after the ship had passed 
them, the boat swamped; that the master of the 
shallop and the sailor vv^ere drowned, and that he 
w^as saved by the exertions of the Sandwich Isl- 
anders, who had dived several times to clear him 
of the lead line which was entangled round his 
legs. As the tide was ebbing strong, the boat 
drifted clear of the breakers ; the islanders got a 
bucket and one of the oars ; the blacksmith and 
one of the islanders took it in turns to scull the 
boat during the night. The other islander died in 
consequence of being benumbered with the cold, 
so that he could not exert himself as the others 
did. At day-light, they found themselves drifted 
to the northw^ard of the river into a sm.all sandy 
bay; they ran the boat on the beach and hauled 
her as high as their strength w^ould allow them, 
and got their dead companion out. They then 
crossed the point towards the river, and entered 
the woods, where the islander lay down by the 
stump of a tree . The blacksmith left him , crossed 
the point, and arrived in sight of the river, where, 
to his inexpressible joy, he saw the ship at anchor 
in the bay. 



lO SETTLERS AND CARGO LANDED. 

Captain Thorne sent a party in search of the 
islander, whom they found. They also recovered 
the boat, and buried the other native. They then 
landed the settlers about seven miles from the 
entrance of the river, and on the south side, 
where they immediately commenced clearing" 
aw^a3^ the woods, building a fort, block-houses, 
etc. to protect themselves against the Indians. 
The Tonqiii)} next landed part of her cargo, of 
which Mr. McDougal took charge; and Mr. Mc- 
Kie'^ accompanied Captain Thorne to trade with 
the Indians to the northward. For this purpose, 
they sailed from the river and swept along the 
coast till they came to Woody Point, where they 
ran into a snug harbor, in latitude of 50 deg. 6 
min. N. and longitude 127 deg. 43 min. W.; in 
this place they carried on a brisk trade wnth the 
natives, of whom Captain Thorne, however, 
allowed too many to come on board. Mr. Mc- 
Kie remonstrated, and pointed out the danger to 
which they subjected themselves, b}^ placing too 
much confidence in savages. But the captain 
was above taking his advice, and permitted still 
more liberty in visiting the ship. On the morn- 
ing of the fatal catastrophe taking place, he was 
awakened b3^ his brother (whom he had appoint- 
ed chief mate in the room of the one who was 
lost, while Mr. Moffat was left at the Columbia 
river to command the schooner or shallop), com- 
ing to inform him, that the natives were crowding 
on board in very great numbers, and without 
women, which was a sure sign of their hostile 

* Irving's Astoria gives this name as McKay. [Ed.] 



INDIAN BUTCHERY AVENGED. II 

intentions. Upon reaching the deck Captain 
Thorne was alarmed, and ordered the ship to be 
got under-way; four persons went aloft to loose 
the sails, while the remainder were heaving at 
the windlass. The Indians had seated themselves 
round the decks between the guns, apparently 
without arms ; but while the sailors were in the 
act of heaving at the windlass, they gave a sudden 
yell, and drew long knives from their hair, in 
which they had them concealed, rushed on the 
men, and butchered every person on deck. Cap- 
tain Thorne defended himself for some time, but 
was at length overpowered, after having killed 
several of his assailants. The people aloft, terri- 
fied by this slaughter, slid down by the stays, 
and got into the forecastle, where, by means of 
the loop-holes, they soon cleared the decks of the 
savages. The^^ were for some time at a loss how 
to act, and it was at length resolved that three 
should take the long-boat, and endeavor to reach 
the Columbia river. The blacksmith being wound- 
ed, preferred staying onboard, and endeavoring 
to revenge the death of his ship-mates: the three 
men accordingly took provision and arms, and 
left the ship, and pulled directly out to sea. The 
blacksmith then waved to the natives to return 
on board, having previous^ laid a train of gun- 
pow^der to the magazine, and got his musket ready 
to fire it. The Indians seeing but one man in the 
vessel, came off in great numbers, and boarded 
without fear. He pointed out to them where to 
find the different articles of trade ; and while they 
were all busily employed breaking open boxes, 



12 BUT ONE ESCAPED TO T.AND. 

loosing bales, etc., he fired the train, and jumped 
overboard. By this explosion was destroyed 
nearly the whole village. He was picked up by 
some of the canoes, and it is said by the natives, 
is still among them, but is never allowed to come 
near the sea-shore. It may appear strange that he 
was not put to some violent death ; but the savages 
estimate too highly the value of a blacksmith, who 
repairs their muskets, makes knives, etc.; in 
short, he is the greatest acquisition they can have. 
With respect to the three men who escaped the 
massacre on board, not being able to weather 
Woody Point, they were driven on shore, and 
killed by the natives. The boat remains, together 
with the wreck of the Tonqiiin^ to this day. 

The former part of this account of the loss of the 
Tongtiin I had from Mr. McDougal, the governor 
of the fort at Columbia river, and the remainder 
from the natives, with whom I have had frequent 
intercourse, and whom I invariably found it to 
my interest to use well, as they are sensible of 
the slightest attention, and are prone to revenge 
the sHghtest insult. 



CHAPTER II. 

Continuation of the Account of the First Settlements on 
the River Columbia, — A Party seyit over -land from 
Boston to form an Establishment, — Arrival of the 
Beaver: Plan of the Natives to take the Vessel frus- 
tated by an Indian Woman. — Trading Voyage of 
the Beaver to Norfolk Sound: collects a valuable 
Cargo of Furs: arrival at China. — Loss of the Lark 
cf Boston off the Sandwich Islands. — The North-' 
west Company obtain possession of the Settlement. 

— Voyage, c^c. of the Isaac Todd from London. — 
. Melancholy Death of Mr, McTavish and four others. 

— Voyage of the Columbia^ in which the author was 
chief Officer. — Alarming Mutiny: Arrival at the 
Columbia. 

THE next attempt to form a settlement on the 
Columbia was made by John Jacob Astor, 
who sent a party over-land from Boston,^' 
under the command of Mr. Hunt. They endured 
many hardships in crossing the stony mountains, 
and lost several of their number; but at length 
reached their destination, the Columbia, after the 
destruction of the To7iquin. The next vessel Mr. 
Astor sent out was the Beave?^, a ship command- 

* The narrator is in error in naming Boston as the place of 
departure both of sea and land expeditions. New York was the 
headquarters, and the Beaver left that port Oct. 10, 1811. [Ed.] 



14 INDIANS PLOT FRUSTRATED 

ed by Captain Sjle.^ She arrived safe in the river, 
and found the establishment in great distress for 
provisions. On the ensuing" night, not being pro- 
perlj' secured, she went adrift, and was nearly 
wrecked on the bar; they, however, got her into 
the harbour next day, and commenced landing 
their stores. 

After they had unloaded, and received on 
board such furs as had been collected, they only 
waited for a fair opportunit3^ to cross the bar, to 
observe w^hich. Captain Sole went on shore daily, 
on Cape Disappointment. The natives, mean- 
while, formed a design for seizing him and his 
boat's crew while on shore, and at the same time 
send off canoes to take the ship. The plot was, 
however, most fortunately frustrated by an Indian 
woman, who was on board with one of the sailors, 
and communicated the whole design to her tem- 
porary husband. This affair put Captain Sole 
more on his guard: the w^oman v/as handsomely 
rewarded, and is still at Fort George. The 
Beaver left the Columbia river, and ran along the 
coast to the north w^ard. She went into Norfolk 
Sound, where the Russians have an extensile 
establishment, and there traded with the colonists 
for seal-skins. They were also induced to visit 
the islands of St. Paul and St. George, which 
are situated inside a group of islands, called the 
Aluthean (Aleutian) or Fox Islands. Here the 
Beaver was nearly lost among the ice; but ulti- 
mately, after encountering many difficulties, she 

* Also given as Sowle and Soule by other writers ; the latter 
most likely correct. [.Ed.] 



THE LARK DISMASTED. 1 5 

arrived safe at Canton, with a valuable cargo of 
furs, and was laid up, on account of the war 
between the United States and Great Britain. 

Mr. Astor next sent out the ship Lark, Captain 
Northrope, with instructions to touch at the wSand- 
wich Islands; but when they got into their lati- 
tude, and were running down before the wind, 
it came on to blow very hard, which reduced 
them to a close-reefed main top-sail arid fore-sail. 
The sea was running mountain high, and the ship 
being very crank, in the middle watch (vv^hich v/as 
kept by Mr. Machal, a relative of Mr. ilstor's) she 
suddenly broached-to, and a sea struck her, w^hich 
laid her on her beam-ends. The people lost no 
time in cutting away the masts, by w^hich means 
she righted. Fortunately for them, the cargo con- 
sisted chiefly of rum for the Russians, and light 
goods, which, added to the number of empty 
water-casks on board, made the ship float light. 
After the gale had abated, they got the spare 
spars, and rigged one for a jur3^-miast. They also 
built a sort of stage on the forecastle, and, hy 
means of a Sandwich Islander named Power, 
whom they brought from America with them, got 
a top-gallant-sail up from below% and set it on the 
jury foremast. They then cut the anchors from 
the bows, but afterwards felt the loss of them, 
managing nevertheless to steer the ship towards 
the Sandwich Islands. They remained nineteen 
days on the wreck, subsisting entirely on what 
the islander could get from the cabin, as he could 
not go down the main hatchway, on account of 
the casks drifting about; tliey also killed several 



1 6 SHIPWRECK AND RESCUE OF CREWS. 

sharks which were swimming- across the vessel. 
At length, on the nineteenth day of their being- 
in that distressing situation, they, to their great 
joy, discovered land, and were drifted close to 
Mowee, (Maui) in a smooth sandy bay. They 
now experienced the want of their anchors, which 
might have saved the ship. Some canoes came 
off, and some of the people landed, when the 
wind suddenly shifting, blew strong from the 
land, and the sh^p was drifted from Mowee (Maui) 
to the point of Morotoi* (Molokai), where she 
went on the rocks, and was soon knocked to 
pieces. The captain and rem.ainder of the crew 
were rescued through the exertions of the isl- 
anders, and kindly treated by them. The 
natives saved, too, a great deal of the cargo, and 
the chief of Mowee (Maui), Namea Teymotoo, 
(Keeaumoku) having arrived, took charge of 
the whole. The news soon reached Owhyhee 
(Hawaii), and Tameameah, (Kamehameha) the 
king, dispatched orders to Teymotoo, (Keeau- 
moku) to send what goods he had obtained, and 
also all the white men to him. The white men 
were sent, but Teymotoo (Keeaumoku) never 
quitted the island while the rum lasted, for which 
he nearly lost his head, which he certainly would 
have done, had not his sister, named Ta'amano 
(Kaahumanu), and vv^ho was Tameameah's (Ka- 
mehameha's) head wife, exerted all her interest 
successfully in his cause. 

Tlie establishment on the Columbia River being 
so valuable in respect to the fur trade, it was 

* This should be Kahoolawe, not Molokai. [Ed.] 



CANADIAN DESIGNS. 17 

determined by the Northwest Company of Can- 
ada to get possession of it. It was therefore 
arranged to fit out a ship for that purpose, and 
accordingly the ship Isaac Todd was selected 
and equipped by Messrs. McTavish, Fraser and 
Company, merchants, commanded by C aptain 
Smith. She left England in March, 1813, with a 
number of settlers on board, the principal of 
whom was Donald McTavish, Esq. There was 
also a party sent over-land from Canada to reach 
the Columbia about the same time at which it was 
calculated the ship would arrive. The Isaac 
Todd called at Rio de Janeiro, and sailed thence 
under the convoy of his majesty's ships Pkcebe^ 
Racoon, and Cherub, of which she lost sight off 
Cape Horn; and, after beating off the Cape for 
som.e time, and nearly getting ashore, the captain, 
settlers, and sailors continually fighting and 
quarreling, at length arrived on the coast of 
California. Most of the people being laid up 
with the scurvy, they determined to run into 
Monterey (the Spanish seat of government on 
California) to recruit their crew, of which there 
was scarcely a sufticient number well enough to 
work the vessel. The}^ anchored in Monterey in 
the latitude of 36° 36' N., and longitude 121'' 34' 
W. ; got permission to land the sick, and were 
well treated by the Spaniards, and recovered fast. 
When they were about to leave Monterey, an 
officer came over-land from Port St. Francisco* 
to order the Isaac Todd round to that port, and 
enable the Racoon to heave down and repair. 

* San Francisco. 



l8 MORE FATALITY. 

She had arrived in the Columbia river, and found 
the establishment in possession of the party that 
came over-land, and the English colors flying" on 
the fort. On the approach of the party, they had 
informed the Americans that some of his majesty's 
ships were coming to take possession of the place. 
Upon this the colon}" made the best bargain the}^ 
could, and the Enghsh took possession of the 
fort, with a valuable assortment of furs. A few 
of the American clerks went on board the Amer- 
ican brig Pedlar^ but the governor, Mr. McDou- 
gal and the rest, entered into the service of the 
English Northwest Company. The Racoon, 
after having completed her wooding and water- 
ing, lay sometime in the river; on her crossing 
the bar, she struck, and so much damaged her 
bottom, that she could scarcely be kept above 
water till her arrival at Port St. Francisco, a dis- 
tance not exceeding 500 miles from the Columbia. 
By means of the Isaac Todd, his majesty's ship 
was soon repaired, and sailed towards the Sand- 
wich Islands. Several of the crew of the Isaac 
Todd deserted at Monterey, being afraid \h^y 
should be pressed into the Racoon, She then 
sailed from Port St. Francisco, and arrived off 
the Columbia river in April, 1814, got over the 
bar in safety, and anchored in Baker's Bay. 
The Todd ^M^nt up the river, and moored oppo- 
site the fort above Village Point; and all the en- 
treaties of Mr. McTavish could not prevail on 
Captain Smith to bring the ship across: his ex- 
cuse was, want of water in the channel, where 
there is three fathoms and a half at high tide. 



BODIES RECOVERED. IQ 

The consequences were fatal ; for, on Sunday, the 
22nd of May, as Mr. McTavish was crossing the 
river in the vessels long-boat, under the charge 
of Captain Smith's nephew, when they got about 
mid-channel, they were upset by a sudden squall, 
filled, and sunk immediately. Mr. McTavish, 
Mr. Henry and four others, found a watery grave, 
and an American carpenter, named Joseph Little, 
alone saved himself with an oar. He drifted up 
the river, and got on the stump of a tree, whence 
he was taken by an Indian canoe to the fort, 
where he communicated the sad fate of the gov- 
ernor and party. Within a few days two of the 
bodies were picked up, and buried close to the 
fort, and shortly after, the body of Mr. McTavish 
was drifted ashore to the northward of Cape 
Disappointment, and a party was sent to bury him 
there, as it was not safe, at that time, to bring 
him to the fort, where the natives were very 
troublesome, and all collected from the northward 
to fish in the river, this being the season. 

Having served my time in the West Indja trade 
with Captain Stoddard, in the employ of Messrs. 
Inglis, Ellice and Company, of Mark-lane, I 
arrived in London about August, 1813, from a 
West Indian voyage. The houses of Inglis, 
Ellice and Co. and McTavish, Fraser and Co., 
were then fitting out a vessel for the northwest 
coast of America and China. A schooner that 
had formerly belonged to the Americans, was pur- 
chased for this voyage, and called the Columbia, 
She was a sharp-built vessel, of 185 tons register, 
and had a crew of 25 men, oflScers included. 



20 SCHOONER COLUMBIA S VOYAGE. 

She was armed with ten nine-pounders, and had 
a patent boarding- defence all round her bulwark. 
Her commander was Captain Anthony Robson, 
under whom I served as chief ofilcer. 

I went on board in August, 1813, and after taking" 
our cargo on board, we dropped down to Grave- 
send the latter end of September, completed our 
stores, wood and water, at the Motherbank, and 
on the 26th of November, 1813, sailed under 
convoy of his majesty's ship Laurel^ Captain 
Proby, in company with the Brazil fleet. On the 
24th of January Vx^e crossed the equinoctial line 
in the longitute of 24 ° o' west, having much 
thunder, lightning, and rain. A strong current 
setting to the northward, on the 31st, we made 
the land about Pernambuco on the Brazil coast, 
spoke several catamarans, which are made of 
four or five logs of wood, trunneled together, 
and well lashed. They are rigged with a large 
lug-sail, and are used to fish and trade along the 
Brazil Coast, manned with four or five negroes. 
February 9th, we saw Cape Frio in the latitude 
of 23° i' south, and longitude 41 "^ 45' west, and 
on the loth we came-to in Rio de Janeiro harbor. 
We lost no tim.e in preparing to wood and water 
the ship, the season for doubling Cape Horn 
being far advanced ; several of our crew deserted, 
and we had great difticulty in procuring others. 

On the 19th of February, having completed our 
stores, etc., we sailed from Rio, intending to 
touch at the Falkland islands, and refit, previous 
to doubhng the Cape. On the 14th of March 
we saw the Falkland Islands, stood away to the 



A DESERTED VILLAGE. 21 

eastward, towards Berkeley's Sound, and as we 
sailed along shore, observed a great number of 
cattle and horses. About ii o'clock p.m., w^e 
rounded Cape St. Vincent, and worked up the 
sound with a strong" gale at S. W. At 3 p. m., 
came-to between Penguin and Goat Islands, at 
the head of the sound in six fathoms, soft bottom. 
I went on shore with a party on Goat Island, 
where we shot a number of ducks and other birds, 
of which there appeared to be great numbers, as 
also of the fur seal. Next day. Captain Robson 
went on shore to a town which we saw from the 
ship, apparently deserted. In the evening he 
returned with the boat nearly full of ducks and 
geese. We got under weigh, and warped nearer 
the place in four fathoms water, good bottom. 
It appeared that the town had been deserted by 
the Spaniards in 181 1: they called the island 
Soledada, We found it well stocked with cattle, 
horses, ducks, geese, etc., and also a small 
quantity of cabbages and celery, the gardens 
being nearly chocked up with weeds, which we 
cleared away, and planted seeds of different 
kinds. On the 27th day of March, 1814, having 
completed the rigging, we took a stock of fresh 
beef, geese, and pigs on board, filled up our 
water, got under way, and stood out of the sound, 
with a strong S. W. wind. While we lay at these 
islands, the people had fresh beef, geese, and 
vegetables daily; and when we sailed, all on 
board were in good health, except our surgeon, 
who had been ill since we left Rio de Janeiro. 



22 HKAVY CAPE HORN WEATHER. 

Cape St. Vincent and Cape Pembroke form 
the entrance of this sound; the former is in the 
latitude of 51° 26' south, and lono-itude 57° 54' 
west; the latter, in latitude 51° 56' south, and 
longitude 57° 54' west; the sound is about three 
leagues deep and about three miles wide in the 
middle. Ships bound into this sound must give 
Cape St. Vincent a wide berth, on account of a 
reef that run^ about a mile off the point; and it 
would be particularly advisable for such as are 
going round Cape Horn, to touch here in pre- 
ference to calling at Rio de Janeiro. 

We encountered ver^^ severe weather going 
round the cape ; at times not more than six or eight 
men were able to stand the deck, from being con- 
tinually wet and cold, and the schooner being so 
low that the sea was continually washing over her. 
On one occasion, April 14, 1814, she shipped a sea 
that washed the round-house clean from the deck, 
and filled the cabin : we had four feet of water in 
the hold, and in this gale carried away the fore- 
yard, and split all our sails, so that, at one time, 
we had not a single sail that was tit to set. About 
the i8th of April, we doubled Cape Horn, and 
ran along shore to the northward, with a fine S. 
W. breeze. May 26th, John Jameson, the sur- 
geon, departed this life, after a long illness: he 
was a native of Scotland, aged about 26 3^ears. 
His body was committed to the deep with the 
usual ceremonies. 

On the 22nd of May, we crossed the equinoctial 
line in the longitude of 109° 14' west, with a strong 
breeze from E. S. E. and fine weather. Nothing 



MUTINY FRUSTRATED, 23 

of moment occurred until the 22nd of June, when 
a young" man, of the name of Thomas Smoke, 
came aft, and divulged a most villainous design, 
planned by four of the men, viz: John Happy, 
boatswain, John Carpenter, John Peterson, and 
John Decrutz, seamen. Their horrid purpose 
was to rise in the middle watch, which it happened 
I was to keep, and throw me overboard; one of 
the parties was then to go to the cabin, and dis- 
patch the captain, who was at that time unwell, 
and the others were to murder the officers in the 
half-deck. They had asked Smoke if he could 
navigate the ship to the Spanish main for them : he 
answered that he could, and was thus enabled to 
frustrate their treacherj^ 

Having- put us on our guard, he went forward, 
but not below, and we made preparations for the 
villains in as private a way as possible. I wished 
to secure them immediately, but Captain Robson 
declined doing so till the morning, it being then 
dark. We armed all the officers in the half- 
deck, and opened a door which led from the 
cabin to that berth; we then unhinged the doors, 
and put them below. The second m.ate took 
the first watch from 8 o'clock to midnight, 
and the rest of us kept in readiness to jump 
on deck at the least notice. Midnight came, and 
I succeeded to the watch. I went on deck armed 
with three pair of pistols. My first care was to 
look round, and see that every thing was right; 
I then called down the forecastle, to know if the 
watch were coming on deck: the answer was, 
*'A3^e, aye, sir." Shortly after, Happy came on 



24 ARRIVE OFF COLUMBIA RIVER. 

deck, and relieved the helm, but none of the 
others made their appearance. It being a fine 
night, I was glad they kept below, as it was my 
determination to shoot the first man who should 
attempt to come abaft the gang-way. At day- 
light we called them one at a time, and secured 
them in irons. Towards noon, Carpenter 
requested to be taken out of irons, and to make 
a confession concerning the mutiny. His depo- 
sition was accordiny^ly taken by Captain Robson, 
and signed by the officers, after which w^e were 
obliged to keep him apart from the other prisoners, 
as they swore they would murder him. 

Latitude 39° 14' north; longitude 134° 39' west. 
On the 29th of June, we made Cape Orford, on 
the coast of New Albion, and on the 6th of Jul3^ 
we saw Cape Disappointment, the north point of 
Columbia River: latitude 46"^ 19' north, and longi- 
tune 123° o' west. We stood close in with the 
bar, fired a gun, tacked ship in SjA fathoms dark 
sand, about half a mile from the breakers. Next 
day we stood in: the tide setting in strong, and 
drifting us fast towards the bar, I went to the 
mast-head to look for a channel, and perceived 
an Indian canoe paddling towards us. She soon 
after came alongside, and the natives began 
talking to us in a language we did not understand ; 
we then lowered the boat down, and I took one 
of the Indians with me to sound before the ship, 
— the least water we had was 3)^ fathoms on the 
bar. On rounding Cape Disappointment, an 
Indian village opened to our view, consisting of 
about 50 miserable looking huts. The Indians 



VISITED BY INDIANS. 25 

were all busilylemployed, launching their canoes, 
and pushing" off towards the ship, which was a 
novel spectacle to us all, as we had never seen 
people of this description before. At three 
o'clock P.M. we anchored under Cape Disappoint- 
ment in Baker's Bay, about a mile from the 
village, and were soon visited by about 30 canoes, 
with men, women, and children, most of whom 
had flat heads. We put sentries on immediately, 
and ran our boarding defence out, to the great 
astonishment of the natives. 



CHAPTER III. 

The Schooner is repaired, and Mittineers sent into the 
interior : sail from the Columbia river. — Arrive at 
New Archangel or Norfolk Sound, and purchase a 
cargo of furs ; retnrn to the Columbia river, com- 
plete the cargo of furs for China, and of goods for 
the Spanish Main. Sail for Monterey for the pur- 
pose of forming a factory , to supply the establishment 
on the Columbia river with provisions. — Spaniards 
refuse to alloiv this, but suffer a cooper to remain to 
cure provisions. — Sail for Bodago. — Russians refuse 
to allow the gentlemen to remain till our return 
from Canton. — Arrival at Owyhee (Hawaii). — 
Visited by the kijig. — Natives crowd on board. — 
A summary method to get rid of them. — Two gentle- 
men of the N . W. Company land at Oivhyee to wait 
our return. — Sail for and arrival at Canton. 

THE natives on the Columbia brought us 
plenty of fine salmon, sturgeon, and fruit, 
such as strawberries, blackberries, rasber- 
ries, etc., for which we gave them, in exchange, 
knives, buttons, etc. We shortly after observed 
a remarkably large canoe, coming off with two 
Indians very finely dressed: they proved to be 
the king's sons, Casakas and Selechel, who made 



MUTINEERS SENT ASHORE. 27 

US signs that there Was a three-masted ship above 
the point. We gave these people bread and 
treacle, of which they appeared to be very fond. 
Shortly after we perceived a schooner-boat beat- 
ing down the river; and about 7 o'clock she 
anchored in-shore of us. I went on board of her 
well armed, and found Mr. Black, chief mate of 
the Isaac Todd^ with several of the clerks belong- 
ing to the Northwest Company, whom I brought 
to the Columbia. The schooner was manned 
with Sandwich Islanders. The next morning we 
weighed and ran up the river, passed two Indian 
villages belonging to the Chenook tribe, and 
came too above Village Point, along-side of the 
Isaac Todd, in seven fathoms water, good bottom. 
Captain Smith visited us, and a large bark canoe 
came across from Fort George, in which was the 
governor, John George McTavish, Esq., with 
whom. Captain Robson went on shore. Next 
day Captain Robson returned with a party from 
the fort to take the mutineers on shore ; they were 
well guarded. After the necessary precautions, 
we then crossed the river in 3^2 fathoms water, 
and anchored under Fort George in 6 fathoms 
water, very excellent holding ground. We were 
visited daily by Comley, king of the Chenook 
tribe, with his wives and family; and also by the 
other tribes about the river, bringing sea-otter 
and beaver skins, (which we were not allowed to 
buy from them), with plenty of fine salmon and 
sturgeon. During this time, the Isaac Todd had 
been taking in furs for China; on the 22nd of 
July, she was ready for sea, and dropped down 



28 T.OAD FOR N. W. SKTTT.KMKXTS. 

below the Point. Mr. Bethune, one of the North- 
west Company, went on board as supercargo 
for China. Having finished the rigging- of the 
schooner, we commenced taking in bar-iron, 
rum, powder, ball, etc. for the Russian settle- 
ments to the northward. Mr. James McTavish 
came on board as super cargo; Mr. McLennan 
as clerk. Finding there were several American 
ships on the coast, we embarked two long six- 
pounders, and a brass four-pounder, with small 
arms, etc., also three Sandwich Islanders who 
were left here by the Tonqiirn^ three Canadians, 
an old man, who had been a long time in the 
Russian Northwest Company's service, and a 
half breed bo3^ Having completed our cargo, we 
took our wood and water on board. 

On the 4th of August, eight bark canoes, 
belonging to the Northwest Company, sailed 
with stores for the posts in the interior, with 
seven men in each canoe, including three of 
our mutineers ; the other being a blacksmith was 
kept at the river. On the i6th, both ships weighed 
with a strong breeze from N. W., and turned 
over the bar, in a heavy sea in 3 fathoms water. 
In crossing, the sea washed over us, and left the 
decks covered with sand. We left the Isaac 
Todd at anchor, and made all sail to the west- 
ward; we had a steady breeze from N. W. and 
W. N. W. On the 26th of August we had a 
strong gale, sprung our bowsprit and fore-top- 
mast; and, on the 29th, we saw^ Queen Char- 
lotte's Island. September 2nd, we made the 
land, called, by the Russians, New Arch- 



ARRIVE AT NEW ARCHANGET.. 29 

angel, and by the English, Prince of Wales's 
Archipelago; in the evening we were close in 
with the bay of islands, to the northward of 
Norfolk Sound. On the 5th, we entered the 
Sound by 10 o'clock, the wind dying away we 
got the sweeps on; fired several guns; at 11 
o'clock we were boarded by a skin-boat, called 
bodaree, and a smaller one, called bodarkee; the 
latter was dispatched on shore to let the governor 
know what ship it was ; the former assisted to tow 
us towards the harbor. When we got to the 
head of the Sound, we ran inside a group of 
islands, and came too off the Russian fort, in 3)^ 
fathoms water, good holding ground : found here 
a fine American ship, called the Packet^ Captain 
Bacon, with a valuable cargo of furs on board, 
which they had collected on the N. W. coast. 
We saluted the fort with thirteen guns, which 
was returned with the same number. Captain 
Robson, and the supercargo waited on the 
Governor Baranoff; sent the carpenter to cut 
some good spars for bowsprit and topmast. Sep- 
tember T3th, the supercargo, having agreed with 
the governor, we commenced landing our cargo; 
by the 21st, we completed our rigging, wooding, 
and watering, took on board a quantity of fur, 
seal skins, and made all clear for sea. While we 
lay here a large Russian brig arrived, with a 
valuable cargo of furs, from the Aluthean, or 
Fox Islands; she had been two years on her 
voyage, which might have been performed in six 
months; also arrived here the sloop Constantine, 
from Kodiac, with furs and stores. At this time 



30 THE GOVERNOR S CUSTOM. 

there were two large ships hauled on shore, 
undergoing- some repairs ; two large sloops ready 
for sea, and two gun-boats; a ship of 400 tons, 
which they had built here, was trading on the 
coast for furs; and a large brig and schooner 
trading on California. The Americans were 
very friendly with us, often spending their even- 
ings on board. During our stay, we were well 
supplied with salmon, hallibut, and wild fowl. 

It is the custom of Governor Baranoff to make 
his visitors drunk, when they dine with him. On 
these occasions he will commence firing guns, 
which must be answered by the ships, and I have 
often been obliged to fire upwards of fifty guns 
in a day. The governor dined on board once 
with his suite, and seemed much pleased with our 
boarding defence. The Russians have a fine 
fort on a high rock, mounting about sixty guns, 
and well calculated to defend them from the 
Indians; a good ship would, however, soon des- 
troy it. They have also blockhouses, and a town 
of about sixty houses, a church, ship-yard, etc., 
and about 100 Russians, chiefly convicts from 
Siberia. They employ a great number of Kodiac 
and Oonalaska Indians to hunt the sea-otter and 
man their ships; they also hire American ships 
to take Indians and canoes to California, where 
the sea-otters are very plentiful, for the capture 
of which they allow the ships a certain proportion. 
They have also several hostages from the tribe 
about the Sound, and will not allow a canoe to 
come near the fort, without bringing a handsome 
present; they have a look-out house on the top 



NEW ARCHANGEI. DESCRIBED. 3I 

of the fort, where a man is continually kept with 
a spy-glass in his hand, and if a canoe should 
heave in sight, a gun-boat is immediately dis- 
patched after her. The town is enclosed b^^ a 
high paling, and look-out houses built at the dis- 
tance of twenty yards from each other, where 
there are people on the watch, both day and 
night. Every Russian has cleared a piece of 
ground, where they sow potatoes, turnips, car- 
rots, radishes, sallad, etc., by which means, with 
plenty of fish and whale blubber, they live very 
comfortably, marrying the Kodiac and Oonalaska 
women, who are ver-y^ industrious and make good 
wives. The Russians are extremes fond of rum, 
and will part with 3,ny thing for it; tobacco is 
also in great request. This country abounds 
with wood, chiefly of the pine kind. The hills 
are continually covered with snow, and it rains a 
great deal ; we had not six line days while we 
lay here. The whole of the population of this 
establishment does not exceed t,ooo souls. 

Septem.ber 27th. We made sail out of the 
Sound, and stood ofj" to\^ irds Columbia ri^-er, on 
our passage to which nothing worth}^ of remarks 
occurred. We found the Isaac Todd had left the 
river on the 26th of September, 1814. The Che- 
nook tribe of Indians were rejoiced to see us, 
and treated us in a very friendly way; then king 
Comley came on board as usual. I was therefore 
dispatched in the schooner-boat to bring the body 
of Mr. McTavish to the fort; which was done 
accordingly, and the corpse interred with funeral 
ceremonies. Captain Robson read the burial 



32 ARRIVE AT MONTEREY. 

service; the coffin was lowered into the grave, 
which being- enclosed all round with paling, a 
kind of tomb-stone was erected. While we lay 
in the river, we had mnch rain and thunder, with 
heavy gales from S. W. to S. E. 

In November we finished a cargo of furs for 

China, and an assortment of goods for the Spanish 

Main ; and having completed our wood and water, 

and taken on board plenty of spare spars, we at 

length cleared the dangerous bar, and stood off 

to the southward towards Monterey. On the 23rd 

of November, made the coast of California; saw 

the harbor of Sir Francis Drake, and the port of 

St. Francisco; passed the Farlone rocks, about 

one mile from them; at daylight, saw the north 

point of Monterey Bay; in the evening, it falling 

calm, we came too in the bay in 50 fathoms sand; 

at daylight a breeze sprung up, weighed and 

turned into the anchorage, we came too in 11 

fathoms sandy bottom, about a quarter of a mile 

from Captain Vancouver's Observatory, and 

about the same distance from the fort. I went 

on shore to report the ship, and was kindly 

received by the Spaniards, who had all their force 

(about 50 horsemen) drawn up on the beach to 

receive me. I asked the governor if he would 

answer a salute; he complied, and I went on 

board and saluted with 11 guns, which was 

returned. Captain Robson and the gentlemen 

then went on shore, and sent off some fresh beef 

and vegetables for the crew. Mr. McDougal 

informed the governor that he wished to remain 

at Monterey, to collect provisions for the North- 



LAND GOODS AND DEPART. 33 

west Company's establishment on the Columbia 
river. The governor could not grant him permis- 
sion without receiving an order from the viceroy 
of Mexico ; accordingly a courier was dispatched 
to Mexico, with letters to state our wishes to him. 
In the meantime, w^e had fresh beef and vegeta- 
bles sent off daily. The people had liberty to 
walk and ride about the town, the Spanish men 
and women often coming on board. On Friday, 
the i6thof December, we received a final answer 
from Mexico to the following purport, viz; that 
they could not allow any gentleman to remain in 
the country; we might land the goods we had 
brought to barter, and the governor was to see 
to the collecting of provisions for us against our 
return from Canton; but the cooper was allowed 
to remain (as a great favour) to superintend the 
curing of the beef. With these terms we were 
obliged to comply. We accordingly landed the 
goods, consisting of bale goods, iron, sugar, 
tobacco, rum, etc. On the 17th, eight of our 
men deserted, and though we tried all means we 
possibly could devise to bring them back, \Ye 
failed in that object. On the 21st of December 
we sailed from Monterey towards Bodago, a 
Russian establishment on New Albion, in the 
latitude 38° o' and longitude 123°, which we 
reached in due time. 

On the 24th we saw a large storehouse on 
shore; Mr. McDougal and myself went in quest 
of its owners; we found it locked, and then 
pulled up a lagoon, where we saw a number of 
Indians collected round a large fire. We landed, 



34 AN UNDERGROUND VIT.I.AGE. 

and found ourselves above an Indian village, for 
here they live under o^round, and we could hear 
their voices beneath us. Several old women and 
children made their appearance; we gave them 
some beads and by signs inquired where the 
Russians were ; they pointed to the men round 
the lire, to whom we accordingly went up, and 
found them killing rabbits. Their mode of hunt- 
ing them is to fire the grass for a considerable 
distance, and kill the rabbits as they are endeavor- 
ing to escape from the flame. The natives, on 
this part of the coast, appear to be a very harmless 
race. We inquired for the Russians, and they 
pointed to the northward. We then left them, 
and, on passing the village, some of our party 
had the curiosity to venture into their subter- 
raneous abodes, but were obliged to make a hasty 
retreat, pursued by swarms of fleas, and an 
intolerable stench from a mass of filth. 

We re-embarked, and made all sail to the north- 
ward, and at 4 p. m. were visited by some Russians 
in bodarkees; they brought with them a present 
of fresh pork and vegetables, and one of them 
piloted us to the settlement, where we anchored 
with the stream in 30 fathoms water, bottom of 
soft mud, about one mile from the shore. Mr. 
McDougal then went on shore to ask permission 
to remain until the schooner arrived from Canton, 
which was refused by Governor Kutscoff, with- 
out first getting permission from Governor Bara- 
noff. He returned onboard, and at daylight we 
weighed, and made sail for the Sandwich Islands. 



ARRIVE AT HAWAII. 35 

January 7th, in latitude 27 north, we fell in with 
the N. E. trade-wind; on the i6th January, 1815, 
made the island of Owhyee (Hawaii), ran close 
inshore; some natives visited us, and informed 
us that Tameamah (Kamehameha) was at the 
village of Tyroa (Kailua). We made all sail for 
that place, and the next day ran between Owhyee 
(Hawaii) and Mowee (Maui), and stood close in 
shore. The natives came off in great numbers, 
bringing with them hogs, vegetables, rope, and 
cloth of the country; we allowed a few to enter 
the vessel, and took a chief woman on board, 
who acted as pilot. About midnight we reached 
Tyroa (Kailua), where we anchored in 30 fathoms 
water, very foul bottom; saluted the king. Mr. 
McDougal went on shore, and returned with the 
king next morning: Tameam.ah (Kamehameha) 
was dressed in a coloured shirt, velveteen 
breeches, red waistcoat, large military shoes, 
and worsted stockings, a black silk handkerchief 
round his neck, no coat: he is a tall, stout, athletic 
man, nose rather flat, thick lips, the upper one 
turned up; an open countenance, with three of 
his lower front teeth gone. We weighed anchor, 
and towed close in shore in 14 fathoms sandy 
bottom; the canoes collected from all parts, and, 
in a short time, there were no fewer than eighty 
of them, with from three to ten men in each, and 
some hundreds of men, women, and children 
swimming about the ship, regardless of the 
sharks; the decks were soon covered with them. 
Captain Robson, being rather alarmed at having 
so many on board, told the king to^send them on 



3^ r.i-:\\'i: uawxtt vom china. 

shore. He took a handspike in his hand, and 
said a few words, and in a moment the men flew 
out of the sliip in all directions. The king- 
ordered us to hoist a white flag, which here signi- 
fies taboo, or prohibition, and then ordered two 
of his hikanees (aikanes), or confidential men, to 
remain on board, to keep the natives from steal- 
ing. The kini4', queens, and principal chiefs 
remained with us all day, and had their dinner 
sent on board to them, not being allowed to eat 
ship provision. It is a strange custom that any 
thing out of which the king eat or drank he had 
sent on shore. In the afternoon Captain Robson 
landed in company with his majest3^ who gave 
Mr. McDougal permission to stop in his dominions 
as long as he pleased, and assured him that he 
should want for nothing. We accordingly for- 
warded their baggage, and the two gentlemen 
and a boy landed. 

The king sent off a supply of hogs and tarrow, 
some very good island rope; and the same night, 
January i8th, we weighed and made sail for 
Canton. We made the islands of Bottel, Tobago, 
and Xima; and on the 5th of March passed For- 
mosa, about two leagues from the valrette rocks; 
had wind, with much thunder, lightning, and rain. 
Next day, it being fogg"y, we sounded occasion- 
ally in from 35 to 20 fathoms of water, bottom of 
dark sand; when it cleared up, we were sur- 
rounded by Chinese fishing-boats, the sea being 
completely covered with them. On the 8th of 
March we passed Pedra Blanco, about one mile 
off, made the great Lema, and passed Antin. 



ARRIVE AT WAMPOA. 37 

On the 9th we ran into the Macao roads, and 
came too in 3)^ fathoms water, bottom of soft 
mud. Captain Robson went on shore in a Chin- 
ese boat; in the evening he returned, and the 
next day took the young woman on shore, the 
Chinese not allowing her to proceed to Canton 
in the schooner. On the 17th of March, we got 
a pilot on board, weighed, and stood up the river ; 
we were three days in our passage up to Wampoa. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Captain Robson gives up the command of the schooner 
Columbia; Captain Jennings appointed to succeed 
him, — Some particulars respecting Captain Jen- 
nings, — Sail from Canton, — Lost a man overboard, 
— Arrive at the Columbia river. — Massacre of 
three persons belonging to the Fort, — Assassins 
discovered and shot, — Another Voyage to Monte- 
rey; plenty of Provisions collected by the Cooper, 
— Description of the Town and Company, 

AT Canton, Captain Robson found Mr. 
Bethune, and sixteen Sandwich Islanders, 
who had been left by the Isaac Todd, 
On March 28th, 1815, being quite tired of the 
northwest coast of America, and determined to 
go to England, he gave charge of the schooner 
to Captain Jennings, agreeably to an order from 
Mr. Bethune. Captain Jennings had left England 
in the brig Forester^ and made an attempt to go 
round Cape Horn, but he did not succeed. At 
last they bore up for the Cape of Good Hope, 
going through the Straits of Tymore, the chief 
mate, with four of the crew, took the gig and left 
the ship in the night. After a tedious and trouble- 
some passage, the Forester arrived off the island 



TROUBLES ON THE FORESTER. 39 

of Woahoo (Oahu,) one of the Sandwich Islands, 
the crew being at that time in a state of mutiny. 
They saw several ships in the harbour, among 
which was the American schooner privateer, 
Tamecuneah (Kamehameha), Captain Porter. A 
canoe came off, and Captain Jennings intercepted 
a letter his crew were sending on shore, to say, 
that if the vessels in the harbour would send their 
boats out they should find friends. Captain Jen- 
nings immediately made sail towards Owyhee 
(Hawaii). On arriving, he anchored at Tyroa 
(Kailua), the residence of the king, who came on 
board with all his family, and on learning from 
the Captain his situation, promised him every 
assistance. He accordingly got the Forester 
under way, and ran to Karakakooa (Kealakekua) 
ba3^, where Captain Cooke was killed: here the 
Indians watered the ship, bringing the water 
down from the mountains in calabashes. 

A very serious accident took place on board 
the Forester while she lay here. A boy ran away, 
but was brought back again, having lost all his 
clothes. One afternoon, when the ship was on 
the point of sailing, and Captain Jennings had 
occasion to go on shore, the boy went up to him 
and told him he wanted his clothes, and would 
not go to sea without them. The Captain pro- 
mised that he would try to get them; and if not, 
some slops should be provided : the boy, however, 
would not be satisfied, and w^as extremely imper- 
tinent, which at lavSt enraged Captain Jennings so 
much, that he gave him a box on the ear. Upon 
this the mutineer took hold of the Captain, who 



40 THE BOATSWAIN SHOT. 

was a small man, and threw him down. The 
clerk, Mr. Ebbets, immediately knocked the lad 
down, and the boatswain espousing" his quarrel, 
ran aft and struck Mr. Ebbets so violently as to 
stretch him on the deck. Captain Jennings then 
got clear, and called for irons to put on the boat- 
swain, who remained quiet for some time. The 
irons happened to be too small, and the culprit 
having called for man's irons, went forward 
where he procured a long knife, and swore he 
would stab the first man that attempted to put him 
in irons. The Captain now seized a musket lying 
by the poop, presented it, and told him, if he did 
not keep quiet he would shoot him. The man 
opened his jacket, and bareing his breast, told 
the Captain to shoot and be damned; on which 
the latter fired, and shot him in the shoulder, with 
a bullet cut in four pieces. He instantly dropped, 
crying out ^'he was murdered." The crew were 
for rigg-ing" a whip to hang the Captain forthwith 
to the yard-arm ; but while they were still debating 
the matter. Captain Jennings sprung from the 
ship into a canoe, and was paddled by the natives 
to the shore, where the king, Tameamah (Kame- 
hameha), protected him. The wounded man 
was also taken on shore, but, from the want of 
proper assistance, mortification ensued; and as 
he would not allow his arm to be amputated, in a 
few days he died. Several of the crew left the 
Forester^ vowing to be revenged. In the mean- 
time, Mr. Biggot, the supercargo, took the com- 
mand, and got one Adams to navigate and some 
islanders to work the ship. He then sailed from 



SAIL FOR COLUMBIA RIVER. 4I 

Karakakooa (Kealakekua) bay for the coast of 
California, leaving" Captain Jennings and five of 
the crew on shore. Sometime after his majesty's 
ship Chertih^ Captain Tucker, touched atOwhyee 
(Hawaii), under American colours, and the 
Forester's people, having ventured on board, 
were detained, while their late captain kept out 
of the way. The Isaac Todd arrived shortly 
after, and his voyage to Canton in her led to the 
arrangement I have just mentioned. I sailed 
upwards of three years with him on board the 
Columbia^ and found him to be every way a pro- 
per person to command a ship in those seas. 

Previous to sailing from Wampoa on the 28th 
of April, we took all the Sandwich Islanders on 
board; several of whom died shortly after. On 
the 2nd of Ma^s we weighed from Macao Roads, 
and made sail for the Columbia River. On the 
nth of May, we made the South Bashees; in the 
afternoon, ran between Grafton and Monmouth 
Islands: and on the 15th, passed the island of 
Majecosima, and several smaller islands. At this 
time, Joseph Ashton, one of the seamen, showed 
symptoms of insanity, and on the 17th, though he 
then appeared quite sensible and worked at the 
sails, he suddenly gave three Indian yells, and 
leaped from the lee-bow into the sea, where he 
was drowned. On the 26th, atmidnig-ht, we saw 
Moor's Island; bearing N. by W. smiles, latitude 
30° 39' north, longitude 213° 30' west, on our pas- 
sage from Canton hither we had the winds vari- 
able and much bad weather; passed drift-wood 
and sea-weed daily: as we approached the N. W. 



42 MURDEROUS INDIAN ASSAULT. 

coast, saw many large trees with their branches 
complete. Between the latitudes of 30° and 46° 
north, and longitude of 180° and 123° west, we 
saw many shoals of sperm whale. On the 21st 
of June we buried two islanders, and on the ist 
of July crossed the bar of the Columbia, and 
anchored. At this time the river was full of 
Indians, and we were visited by them, bringing 
plenty of good salmon and berries. After we 
left the river, in November 1814, the natives had 
been very troublesome. A blacksmith and two 
men were sent a short distance into the woods to 
burn charcoal, where they commenced building 
a hut; several Indians collected about them 
apparently in a friendly manner, but the moment 
an opportunity offered, they took the axes belong- 
ing to the party and made a furious attack, cutting 
and mangling them most barbarously. They then 
made off, taking the axes with them; and the 
bodies were found next morning by some of the 
people. A strict inquiry was set on foot for the 
authors of this' outrage, king Comley ^offering his 
services to find them; and at length, by the help 
of many valuable presents and some threats, two 
of the men were discovered. One of them was 
recognized by the Americans ; he had on a former 
occasion been kicked from the fort for theft, and 
belonged to a tribe in the interior, denominated 
Soosoonies; and it was to revenge his disgrace 
that he persuaded some of his nation to join him 
and murder the men. The prisoners were con- 
fined in the bastion, and next morning led out, 
blindfolded, to be shot. They were placed oppo- 



MONTEREY REVISITED. 43 

site a 6-pounder, while a party of rifle-men were 
in the bastion ready to fire through the loop-holes, 
which manoeuvre was made use of in order to 
make the Indians believe that they were shot by 
the great gun. The dead bodies were taken 
down to the wharf in coflins, and exposed for 
some days, till their friends were allowed to carry 
them away. 

The Columbia now took another trip to Mon- 
terey, where we recovered our people who 
deserted when we were last here, and also four 
of the men that had deserted from the Isaac Todd. 
The former returned to their duty; the latter we 
confined for a while in irons. We found the 
cooper had not been idle; he had cured plenty 
of beef, and collected flour, beans, corn, tallow, 
pease, etc., the farmers bringing these provisions 
in daily. On our arrival a guard was posted at 
the landing-place to prevent smuggling; all trade, 
except through the governor, being prohibited. 
The Spaniards were not allowed to come on 
board as formerly, neither were our people 
allowed so much liberty on shore. The town of 
Monterey is most pleasantly situated on a beauti- 
ful and extensive plain, and nearly half a mile 
from a sandy beach. It consists of about 50 
houses of one story, built in a square, surrounded 
by a stone wall, about 18 feet high; on the south 
side of the square stands the church ; on the west, 
the governor's house; and on the east side, the 
heutenant-governor's house and king's stores; 
on the north side is the grand and principal 
entrance, gaol, and guard-house, and in the 



44 DESCRIPTION OF MONTEREY. 

middle are two field-pieces, 6-pounders. There 
are many farm houses scattered over the plain, 
with large herds of cattle and sheep ; on the north 
side of the bay, is the river Carmel, which is full 
of excellent salmon and other fish. The fort 
stands on a hill, about one mile to the westward 
of the town; and just above the landing- place, it 
is quite open on the land-side, and embrasures 
thrown up on the sea side mounting- ten brass 
i2-pounders, with a good supply of copper-shot. 
At the landing-place, close to Captain Van- 
couver's Observatory, is a battery of two long 
9-pounders, manned by about thirty soldiers. 
The governor, and a few others, are old Spani- 
ards ; the remaining inhabitants are Creoles of the 
country. They keep the Indians under great 
subjection, making them work very hard, chained 
two and two : the whole population of Monterey 
does not exceed 400 souls. About four miles to 
the southward, stands the Mission of Carmel; 
and about twelve miles to the northward, is the 
mission of Santa Cruz . The bay is sheltered from 
east to west, lying open to the northerly winds; 
the best anchorage is in seven fathoms, the fort 
bearing west, half a mile from the shore. The 
country is well wooded with pine and oak, but 
badly watered. There are many bears, wolves, 
foxes, deer, beavers, etc., and in the winter the 
ducks and geese are very plentiful. The bullocks 
are sold at four dollars each, and the sheep at 
one; two ships touch here annually for tallow, 
and to bring supplies for the establishments on 
California. 



CHAPTER V. 

Takes cargo for the Russians at Norfolk Sound, — 
Symptoms of mutiny. — Arrival, — Russian settlers 
for the Sandwich Islands, — Arrival at Columbia 
River. — Sail for Owyhee. — Trade with the Natives, 
Russian settlers on Owyhee. — Sail for Canton, — 
Return to Cohimbia River, — Man lost overboard. 
Arrival at Norfolk Sound, — Sail for the Straits 
of Oonalaskn. — Arrival at the Island of St, Paul 
and' St, George. — Method of preserving the breed 
of Seals, — Mode of killing them, — Singular pro- 
perty of the Seal, — Arrive at Oonalaska, — Des- 
cription of the Town. — Some Account of the 
Natives. 

HAVING returned to Columbia from Mon- 
terey, we speedily discharged our cargo, 
and took on board afresh one for Norfolk 
Sound. The i6th of September, having com- 
pleted our wood and water, we sailed for that 
place. On the i8th, the people refused to do 
their duty, alleging that they had not provisions 
enough, though their allowance was five pounds 
of bread, three pounds of pork, six pounds of 
beef, and two and one-fourth pounds of flour per 
w^eek, with peas and beans; tea morning and 



4^ A FLEET OF TRADERS. 

evening, and a quarter of a pint of rum per day. 
We called them aft to know their grievance, and 
after giving them a severe reprimand, ordered 
them to their duty, to which they went quietly. 
We w ere of opinion that the Isaac Todd's people 
headed this business, of which, however, we 
heard no more, as they found the officers were 
determined not to be trifled with. On anchoring 
in Norfolk Sound we found four American 
vessels lying there, from whom we learned that 
the war with America was at an end. The names 
of the Americans were the Okean^^ the Isabella^ 
and Albatross, formerly employed under the 
Russian flag, in the sea-otter fishery on Califor- 
nia; the schooner Liddy, with a cargo from 
Canton for the Russians, and the brig Pedlar, 
commanded by Mr. Hunt, the individual who 
crossed the Stony Mountain. The Pedlar was 
seized by the Russians for selling powder to the 
natives in the Sound, but was given up before we 
sailed, (after several attempts to get out,) on the 
17th of October, 181 5. The ship Isabella sailed 
at the same time, while Dr. Shefham (Scheffer), 
a Russian, and some settlers for the Sandwich 
Islands ; it being their intention to obtain footing 
there, as they had done on the coast of New 
Albion, the N. W. coast of America, and the 
Aluthean Islands. The Sandwich Islands indeed, 
would answer the purpose of west India Islands 
for them, as they are so conveniently near the N. 
W. coast of America, of the whole of which I 
am of opinion the Russians will possess them- 
selves in time. 

* Given by other writers as O'Cain. [Ed.] 



\ 



ROYAL WELCOME AT KAILUA. 47 

On the 25th of October, we again entered the 
River Columbia, and sent the furs on shore to be 
re-packed. In November, nine bark canoes 
arrived with furs from the interior; on the loth 
we received our cargo on board with stores, etc., 
and on the 13th, made sail for the Sandwich 
Islands. Nothing remarkable occurred on our 
passage, and on the loth of December we made 
the Island of Owyhee (Hawaii) ; the ship was 
surrounded with canoes filled with articles of 
trade. On the 12th we came too off the village 
of Tyroa (Kailua), half a mile from the Morai 
(temple) on the point. Found the American ship 
MikuoodheYe, purchasing sandalwood at the rate 
of 7 dollars for 133 pounds. The King, Tamea- 
meah (Kamehameha), came on board with the 
gentlemen we left last year, who had been well 
treated by the natives and wanted for nothing. 
On their first landing, the King had houses built 
for them, and gave them servants to attend on 
them. His Majesty and the Queens were rejoiced 
to see their old friend. Captain Jenninrs, and 
after taking a good proportion of wine they went 
on shore together. The Prince Reoreo (Liho- 
liho) and his step-sister Maroo (Kamamalu) also 
visited the vessel; the Prince was accompanied 
by one of the chief priests ; he was highly tatooed, 
and would not go under deck for fear the sailors 
or natives would walk above him. Being the 
greatest man on the island," no person was allowed 
to put even a hand above his head on pain of 
death. His sister was not so ceremonious, but 
came below and took her wine with me, and 
pressed me very much to remain on Owyhee. 



48 VISIT OAHU FOk REPAIRS. 

The Russian had arrived and were on shore. 
Dr. Shefham (Sheffer) assured the King that he 
merely came to collect plants and see what the 
Island produced. During- our whole stay, our 
decks were continually crowded with natives. 
We shipped a large quantity of island rope, which 
makes excellent running rigging; and the people 
were emplo3'ed killing and salting pork; the King 
Queens, Prince and Princess coming on board 
daily and remaining until evening. Wanting to 
overhaul the rigging and caulk the ship, we deter- 
mined to run down to Woahoo (Oahu), where 
there is a fine close harbour. We acquainted the 
King with our intentions, and he sent one of his 
hikanees (aikanes) or confidential men on board, 
named Kenopoo, to accompany us and see that 
we should get what we wanted. On the i6th of 
December we took leave of Tameameah, (Kame- 
hameha) and with the ship full of men, women, 
and children, made sail for Woahoo, passed the 
Islands of Tahoorooa (Kahoolawe), Raini (Lanai), 
and Morokoi (Molokai), and on the i8th arrived 
at Woahoo (Oahu). We were boarded outside 
by John Young, a white man, who had lived on 
these islands upwards of 33 years : he piloted us 
into the harbour and we moored close to the shore, 
where thousands of the natives were collected, 
and soon crowded us. Mr. Manning (Manini), 
a Spaniard, and Mr. Harbottle an Englishman, 
who had been on the island for many years, 
came on board, as did also a number of respect- 
able white men. This being Sunday we gave 
the people liberty to go on shore; one of the 



BRIEF VISIT TO KAUAI. 49 

men, who left the Forester at Owyhee (Hawaii), 
came back with them, and remained. Next 
morning at sunrise we fired two muskets and 
sent the women out of the ship, and at sundown 
did the same as a signal for them to come on 
board; this practice we continued, and by that 
means kept the ship clear of natives. By the 29th 
of December we had completed repairing the 
rigging, caulked and painted the ship inside and 
out, and salted a quantity of pork; we then left 
these friendl}^ people, and made sail towards 
Mooi* another of the group, ist of January, 
18 16, we were close in with the village of Whymea 
(Waimea); Mr. Bethune, Mr. McDougal, and 
Mr. McLennan went on shore ; Peter Anderson, 
who had been boatswain of the Tonquin and left 
b}^ her at Owyhee (Hawaii), came to us, and was 
shipped as boatswain. We stood off and on the 
village all night, and the next day ran in between 
the reefs ; the natives came off in great numbers, 
bringing hogs, goats, and vegetables to barter. 
The King, Tamoree (Kaumualii), did not make 
his appearance, but sent his head man to measure 
the schooner. On the 4th our gentlemen came 
on board, and we sailed for China, where we 
arrived on the nth of February. The grand 
mandarin came on board to measure the vessel, 
and made the usual present of two lean bullocks, 
ten jars of sour stuff misnamed wine, and ten 
bags of something they call flour; they were not 
worth the trouble of taking on board, and I sold 
them to the compradore for two dozen geese. 

* Though misnamed, the Author here refers to the island of 
Kauai. [Ed.] 



50 MACAO TO OON ALASKA. 

April 30th. — Weighed and made sail from 
Macao towards the N. W. coast of America. On 
the 23rd of May we passed Ormsby's Peak, a 
very high rock that makes like a ship in full sail, 
and is quite covered with birds, latitude 30° 48' 
north, longitude 217° east. On the 31st, we lost 
a young man, named James Dodd, overboard 
from the main-boom ; the ship was then running 
ten knots per hour, with a strong fair wind; we 
immediately rounded-too and lowered a boat, but 
the sea ran so very high that she could not 
approach the man, who sunk, and it was with 
great difficulty we recovered the boat by making 
several tacks to windward. Our passage was the 
quickest ever made. July nth, we saw Hallibut 
Island; also a remarkable volcano on the main 
land, from which a column of smoke ascended. 
Stood along towards the Straits of Oonalaska, and 
next day were close up with the island of that 
name. Tacked one mile from the west side of 
the Straits, wind blowing in hard squalls from N. 
W. ; all the islands in sight were covered with 
snow; three bodarkees, with Oonalaska Indians, 
came on board, abreast of Cook's harbour. They 
had been out fishing, and returning home; they 
gave us some fish and we gave them rum in 
exchange. July 17th, off the island of St. 
George, we were boarded by two bodarkees, 
with one Russian and four Indians; next day 
we got off the landing place where there was a 
considerable store, a large bodarkee came on 
board and took the cargo onshore, and by the 
evening we had taken on board 313 bales of fur 



METHOD OF SEALING. 5I 

seal-skins. The Russians brought us off plenty 
of gull's eggs, salted ducks, and a number of 
young sea lions, which we found very good eating. 

The islands of St. Paul and St. George are 
within sight of each other; the Russians keei3 12 
men on each, for the purpose of curing the fur- 
seal-skin, with which these islands abound. The\^ 
take 40,000 annually, and still the seal does not 
decrease. The mode they pursue is as follow^s: 
The seal comes on shore to pup in July, and stays 
the whole summer, leaving a sufficient number of 
clapmatches and wigs; the hunters drive up the 
last year's pups like a flock of sheep, out of sight 
and hearing of the old ones, and knock them on 
the head; taking care not to let one of those 
driven up escape. Each summer's pups go to 
sea and comes on shore next summer, and are fit 
to kill. The\^ leave the islands in November 
very lean; they take in several smooth stones 
about the size of an egg, I suppose for ballast. 
I could never find out where the seal winters; 
but certain it is, they must have a place where 
they remain during that season and feed, which 
has not yet been discovered. The people on 
these islands live under ground; the3' collect 
drift-wood enough in summer to last the winter; 
they live chiefly on sea-lion meat jerked, pickled 
ducks, gull's eggs preserved in oil, etc. 

On the 24th we saw the ship-rock, and could 
hear the roaring of the sea-lion and elephant, 
long before we could see the rock, it being very 
foggy. On its clearing awaA^ we saw the island 
of Oonalaska, and stood towards Cook's Straits. 



52 OOXAT.ASKA THE CHIEF DEPOT. 

The next day it came on to blow hard from S. E. ; 
made sail for the harbour, black whale blowingr 
in all directions: we found a snug- town, church, 
etc., the natives were all employed drying- salmon 
for the winter. Captain Jennings and the gentle- 
men accompanied the governor onshore; they 
took some rum with them to treat the Russians, 
who have a numerous herd of cattle and make 
excellent butter and cheese. They keep two 
skin-boats constantly employed in summer, col- 
lecting the drift-wood about the island, which is 
the only fuel they have. We lay here until the 
29th, when we made sail towards Cook's Straits. 
While we lay about these islands we had not 
more than three clear days. 

The Island of Oonalaska is in the latitude of 
53° 55' north, and longitude 166° 22' west. The 
island is the chief depot for all the furs collected 
on the Aluthean Islands; and appears quite 
barren, without the least sign of wood. There 
is an excellent harbour, off the N. W. side, cap- 
able of holding several hundred vessels, and 
completely land-locked. The town consists of 
about twenty houses, a church, and some large 
sheds for the purpose of drying salmon and other 
fish. There are about twelve Russians here ; the 
remainder of the inhabitants of the town are 
Kodiacs, and natives of the island, all converts 
to the Greek church. The natives of these, as 
well as of all the Aluthean Islands, are low in 
stature, broad, flat faces, with black eyes, and 
coarse black hair. Their dress consists of a 
loose frock, made of the skins of ducks and other 



HABITS AND DRESS OF THE INDIANS. 53 

birds, sewed neatly together; this part of the 
dress is the same in both sexes. When the men 
go in their canoes to hunt or fish, they wear a 
dress of the entrails of the seal; it is made like a 
large loose shirt, with a hood, and is water-proof. 
They also wear trowsers and boots, made from 
the throat of the sea-lion or elephant, which are 
water-proof also. They are extremely fond of 
ornaments, particularly of beads, with which they 
ornament their garments and person; they wear 
them round the neck, and pendant from the nose 
and ears, through which many holes are made. 
The men have a helmet or cap, ornamented with 
the beard of the sea-lion and with seed-beads. 
All the natives use paint. There are several 
villages about the harbour, but the island seems 
very thinly peopled, owing, I suppose, to the 
number that are employed by the Russians on their 
establishments on the N. W. coast of America 
Their canoes or bodarkees, are made from the 
skins of the hair-seal, stretched over a light 
wooden frame, leaving one, two, or three holes on 
the top for the sitters; the frame is sometimes of 
whalebone, and the vessels are from lo to i6feet 
long, and about 3 feet wide in the middle, gradu- 
ally tapering towards the ends. They are pulled 
with great swiftness by a double paddle, about 
T2 feet long, with a blade at each end, and held 
hy the middle; they are generally made of ask. 
The canoes perform voyages along the coast for 
several hundred miles, for the purpose of hunt- 
ing the sea-otter and seal; they also kill black 
whales, which are about these islands in great 
plenty. If in their hunting excursions they are 



54 DKXTKROUS SKAT.KRS AND HUNTERS. 

overtaken by a gale of wind, they lash all their 
canoes together in form of a raft, and in this 
manner float lightly on the top of the sea without 
the least danger. The larg-e boats, or bodarkees, 
are made from the skins of the sea-lion or 
elephant, stretched over a stout wooden frame, 
open at the top, and are capable of carrying- 50 
or 60 men. In these boats the3^ go to all the 
x\luthean Islands, to collect the furs; and some- 
times to the main land, for timber. In catching 
the sea-otter and seal, these people are very 
dexterous: they conceal themselves behind the 
rocks, and throw^ out a seal-skin blown, with a 
line affixed, and draw^ it genth^ towards the shore : 
the seal or sea-otter follow^ing till within reach of 
their spears, they are easily captured. In hunt- 
ing, they wear masks and skins to represent the 
beasts they are in pursuit of; the^^ always carr3^ a 
rifle with them, in the use of which they are very 
dexterous. All of them are extremel}' fond of 
rum, and the^^ often part with their garments and 
hunting utensils, to purchase a small quantity. 
Their principal food consists of the black whale; 
also salmon, cod, hallibut, herrings, etc. When 
these fish are in season, they cure sufficient to 
last them through the winter, by drying and 
smoking them, without salt; the^^ also eat their 
victuals without it; and the reason they give is, 
that it hurts the sight. Whether this be the case 
or not, all the natives are very sharp-sighted. 
On this island they have about 40 head of fine 
cattle, first imported from the Spanish Main ; they 
have also some large hogs, w^hich are fed on fish, 
and consequentJy not very delicate. 



CHAPTER VI. 

The Winter of . 1816, on the Columbia River. — Alann- 
ing Fire. — Sail for fJie Sandwich Islands. — Ac- 
count of the Cohnnhia. — Mariners and Customs 
of the Natives. 

IN August, r8i6, we once more touched at the 
Columbia, unloaded, and refitted. We lived 
in tents on shore, within a fence erected to 
keep the Indians from stealing- our tools. On the 
3rd of September our cook died, after four 
months' illness. On the 9th, two canoes, belong- 
ing" to the Northwest Company, arrived from the 
interior; they had left the brigade, consisting of 
nine canoes and about seventy men, encamped 
at Oak Point, sixty miles up the river. On the 
1st of October, the whole brigade of canoes 
arrived with furs; and, on the 5th, they again 
sailed (>vell armed) with stores for the interior, 
under the direction of Mr. McKenzie. At this 
time, the season is wet; we therefore built sheds 
for the carpenters to work under; and, to the 
middle of November, all hands were working 
hard to get the vessel ready for sea before the 
winter set in. 

November the 21st, we were much alarmed by 
a fire breaking out, about seven o'clock in the 
evening, at the fort; we lost no time in hastening 



56 COMPT.ETK OUR REFITTING. 

to their assistance with our buckets, and in the 
course of half an hour ^ot it completely under with 
the loss of only one house. Providentially, it 
was raining" very hard, as, if there had been the 
least wind, the whole place must inevitabl}'^ have 
been destroyed, with all our rio'ging-, sails, stores, 
etc., and we should have been left at the mercy 
of barbarous Indians, without the means of help- 
ing ourselves. On the breaking out of the fire, 
the natives all fled from the village, making a 
dreadful noise. 

December ist, our hull being complete, we 
hauled off in the stream to take our masts in, after 
having lain on shore for nearly four months. 
The first month of our stay here, the weather 
was delightful, and we were well supplied with 
excellent salmon and sturgeon, and a variety of 
small fish. Latterly we had much rain, thunder 
and lightning, heavy. gales of wind from S.W. to 
S.E. The N.W. winds prevailed here in sum- 
mer, and, in the winter, from S. W. to S. E., 
with thick, rainy weather. While here, I em- 
ployed an Indian hunter, who, with my finding 
powder and shot, supphed the ship with ducks, 
geese, and swans, for one blanket. He furnish- 
ed me so largely, that I made him a.present of the 
musket, when I left the river, for which he was 
most grateful, and made me many presents. 

On the 6th, of January, 1817, Lewis Lapham, 
our armourer, died, truly regretted, as he was a 
very serviceable man. On the loth, we crossed 
the bar and got safe to sea. And now, while the 
ship is making for the vSandwich Islands, I shall 



COIAJMBTA RTVER APPROACHES. 57 

endeavour to give an account of the Columbia 
River, with the manners of the people. 

Cape Disappointment forms the north point of 
the river; it is in the latitude of 46"^ 19' north and 
long-itude 123° 54' west: it is high, bluff land, very 
remarkable, and covered with wood. On that 
part which faces the S.W., there are a great 
many dead trees ; and the bluff, or face of the 
cape, is quite bare. Point Adams forms the 
south side of the river; it is a low point, about 
seven miles from Cape Disappointment, in a S.E. 
direction, v/ith a number of trees scattered over 
it. There is a sand-bank which runs from Point 
x\dams to within two miles of the cape, and also 
another which runs from. point Disappointment, 
in a S.W. direction, about two miles; this bank, 
of course, lies considerably outside the other, and 
the two are formed by the sea heaving up the 
sand when the wind sets in strong from the S.W., 
when, for some days, the sea breaks from point 
to point without 'any channel, and after the wind 
abates, the channel is again opened by the tide, 
which strikes Cape Disappointment, turns off in 
a S.W. direction, and divides both sands. Ships 
going into the river, may stand in without fear in 
mid-channel, till they bring the easternmost bluff 
of the cape to bear N. E., then haul up for it 
immediately, and, if bound into Baker's Bay, 
keep close round the cape, and come too in five 
fathoms, the cape bearing south. Upon getting 
into the bay, you lose the tide; if bound up the 
river, run out of the bay, and bring Tongue Point 
open about a ship's length, with Chinook or 



58 DIRECTIONS IN ENTERING THE RIVER. 

Villajje Point, the former makes like an island, 
and is about seven miles above point Adams, on 
the south side of the river; the latter is a remark- 
able hill, about seven miles above Cape Dis- 
appointment, known by a large clear patch on 
the side, and the only clear piece of ground in 
sight. In mid-channel, you have from seven to 
nine fathoms sandy bottom. In beating up or 
down, come no nearer the shore than four 
fathoms, or farther off than thirteen fathoms, 
which you will have on the edge of the banks; 
there is good anchorage above Chinook Point, 
in eight fathoms. The river is full of sand banks, 
formed b^^ the numerous small rivers that branch 
off in various directions from the main one. The 
country, on both sides, is formed of impenetra- 
ble woods, chiefly pine, elder, maple, and birch 
trees; further up, there are plenty of good oaks 
and ash. The first tribe of Indians we saw were 
called the Chickeloes, under a chief, named 
Calpo. They come from a place called Classet, 
to the northward of the river, on the sea coast, 
and bring otter and beaver skins to trade at the 
fort. They encamp in Baker's Bay, and con- 
tinue, from June to October, curing salmon 
and sturgeon for the winter. They are a very 
warlike people, and extremely dangerous, taking 
every advantage if you are off your guard. So 
hostile and treacherous were they, that we never 
allowed the men of this tribe to come on board. 
About hve miles up the river, on the north side, 
stands the Chinook village. The king of this 
tribe is called Com Comly, or Madsaw, which, in 



CHINOOK VILLAGE DESCRIBED. 59 

the Chinook tongue, signifies Thunder. The 
village consists of about thirty houses, built of 
wood, and very large ; they are formed of boards, 
with the edges resting on each other, and fastened 
with stripes of bark to upright posts, which are 
stuck in the ground on either side of them. 
Some have ridge-pole and rafters, but the chief 
part are nearly flat on the top ; they have old mats 
spread inside and out, to keep out the wind and 
rain. In every house there are from five to fifteen 
families, and each family has a fire in the middle 
of the building. On the sides they have their 
bed places, raised about a foot from the earth, 
and covered wath mats ; where they pig' in all 
together, men, women, and children. The houses 
are decorated with rude carved images, which 
they call clamas, or gods, but they do not seem 
to pay any kind of homage or attention to them. 
Their furniture consists of boxes or chests, hol- 
low^ed from the solid wood, of all sizes, and 
curiously carved; and of a number of baskets, 
which they work so close as to hold water. In 
the boxes they keep their propert}^ and spare 
garments, and also their dry provision. When 
the Indians shift to their winter quarters, they 
carry all the planks and mats of their houses with 
them, leaving nothing but the rafters and frame 
standing. They are filthy to the extreme; allow 
whole piles of fish entrails and other uncleanness 
to lie in the middle of the houses, never attempt- 
ing to clear it away. Even in their eating the3' 
are very nasty; I have frequently seen them with 
a piece of meat, half roasted, in the dirt and 



6o INDIAN MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 

ashes, lyinfr on the ground with their -feet on it, 
and tearincr like wild beasts with their teeth. 
After their tish is boiled, they turn it out on a 
mat, or, if they have not yot one readily, on the 
ground, and collect round it like a pack of 
hounds, devouring' dirt and all. Their mode of 
boilin^ii" tish, veg'etables, etc., is rather singular, 
and deserves to be related. They put whatever 
is to be cocked into a basket, and, nearly filling 
it with water, place it on the ground; they then 
proceed to boil or sodden it, by putting in red-hot 
stones (of which they have a number for the pur- 
pose) in quick succession, until the victuals are 
done to their satisfaction. 

The chief employment of the men is to hunt 
and fish; they are, however, generally speaking, 
very lazy, and their young men lie basking in the 
sun, on the sides of the river, for hours together. 
The women and girls are employed in making 
hats, mats, etc., and in collecting berries and 
wood. These people have not the least notion 
of tilling the ground; they trust to Providence 
for every thing, and derive their chief support 
from the river and sea. They collect plenty of 
berries and fish in summer to last them through 
the winter. The former they preserve by mixing 
them up with salmon or seal oil, and, making 
them into lumps, set them to dry in the sun. 
When sufficiently dr^^ they are laid by in boxes 
and baskets for winter. The salmon they cure 
by splitting it u]) into four slices, and running 
splinters of wood across them. These they also 
dry in the sun, and then hang them up in the 



DRESS OF THE INDIANS. 6l 

houses, where they are soon smoked and laid by 
for use. They are cured without salt, which is 
never used. The Indian women are complete 
drudges, yet they seem to work cheerfully. 
They have a root here like the potato, called by 
the natives wapitoe; it grows chiefly in swampy 
ground, and is collected in September. 

The men are very stout and hardy; their height 
from five feet to five feet eight inches, well pro- 
portioned, and with very little beard. They wear 
a dress made of the skins of the wood-rat, sewed 
neatly together and thrown over the shoulders; 
this garment is the same in both sexes (with the 
addition of a petticoat, which the women wear.) 
It goes under the right arm and above the left, 
where it fastens with a wooden skewer, being 
open down the side, so that it leaves both arms 
at liberty for the use of their weapons. Their 
ears are perforated in many parts, and small bits 
of leather fastened in, from which hang shells in 
shape not much dissimilar to a game cock's spur, 
and about one inch in length. These shells are 
called hiaqua. The nose is also perforated, from 
which beads 'are suspended; and sometimes a 
large goose or swan's quill is pushed through. 
They anoint their bodies with a sort of red ochre 
and seal oil ; and are very expert in the use of the 
bow, bludgeon, and dagger. Their bows are 
made of pine, about four feet long, and, in the 
middle, two inches broad, tapering off towards 
each end. The sinew of the elk is laid on the 
back of the bow, which bends it the contrary way 
and strengthens it; the string is also made of the 



62 CHINOOKS EXPERT MARKSMEN. 

sinew of the elk, and it requires a man of some 
strength to string them. The Chinooks are ver^^ 
expert in the use of this weapon ; they will stand 
on the deck and stick an arrow into the truck witli 
ease. Their arrows are made of light wood, and 
pointed with stone, bone, glass, ivory, or iron. 
Those barbed with ivory I have seen pierce a 
three-quarter of an inch plank at twelve yards 
distance. One day some of our people were 
practising the bow on board; they stood aft, and 
endeavored to strike a small looking-glass placed 
on the bow of the vessel, but none of them could 
succeed. An Indian, who was standing by, 
laughed most heartil3' at them, and taking up his 
bow, stood on the stern, and shooting, broke the 
glass in pieces, at a distance of 95 feet, the mark 
being about three inches square. The bludgeon 
is made of bone or iron, about two feet long, and 
stout in proportion, and handsomely carved and 
ornamented; the daggers are made of flint-stone 
or iron, and are held by the middle, so that they 
use both ends. The natives have a kind of loop 
to the bludgeon and dagger, which goes over the 
wrist, to prevent their being wrenched out of their 
hands; and they never stir out without one of 
these weapons. Their original tools are chisels 
made out of the pine knot, axes of stone, and 
stone mallets. With these they split large cedar 
trees into planks, with which they build their 
houses. Their canoes are very simple , some are 
large enough to carry 30 people, being about 40 
feet long, the middle nearly six feet broad, and 
becoming gradually narrower toward the end. 



DESCRIPTION OF CHINOOK WOMEN. 63 

They are about two feet deep, handsomely orna- 
mented and painted; the ornamental parts are the 
teeth of the wolf and sea-otter, which navigators 
have taken for human teeth. The paddles are 
made light and small, the length generally 6 feet, 
of which 2^ feet forms the blade; the lower end 
is forked like a fish's tail, and the upper end is 
crutched very neatly. In the canoes they keep 
nets, hooks, harpoons, and fish-gigs, etc., also 
long spears for spearing salmon. The Chinook 
women are short and very stout, with thick and 
often bandy legs. Their hair, which is jet black, 
they allow to hang loose all round their heads 
and over their shoulders, never cutting it off 
unless at the death of some near relative. They 
wear, as I have noticed, a petticoat made of 
rushes twisted over a string, with ends hanging 
loosely down. This garment reaches the knee, 
and keeps them very warm. The war-dress of 
the men is made of the elk-skin, which is dressed 
in the interior; it is very thick and yet pliable; an 
arrow cannot penetrate it, and I have even tried 
with a pistol-ball at the distance of 12 yards with- 
out effect. It is worn exactly as the common 
dress, but is doubled about the body. The men 
also wear a hat in the shape of a cone, with a 
string that fastens under the chin. These people 
have a horrid custom of flattening the heads of 
infants. When a child is born, they lay it in a 
small canoe or cradle made for that purpose; 
they then fix a pad on the forehead and bind it 
tight down, and keep it so till it broadens the face 
and forces the eye out, giving them a most fero- 



64 POLYGAMY PRACTICED. 

cious appearance. When the child screams with 
pain, they loosen the bandage and hold it to the 
breast; the flatter the head is, the greater the 
beauty in their estimation. Polygamy is allowed, 
and they keep three or four wives ; they are not 
jealous, and so far from being at all delicate, they 
allow their women to go on board ship, ai]d 
remain for weeks, taking care, however, to be 
well paid beforehand. Their mode of burying 
the dead is to fasten them in a small canoe with 
all their property, and hang the vessel up between 
two trees or stakes; they then cover them with 
mats. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Royal Family. — A necdote. — Native Tribes, — Religious 
Ideas. — Habits. — Climate . — Traffic. — Slave Trade 
by the Americans ; their Practices; instance of 
Captain Ayres. — Animals; War Canoes. — Voyage 
to the Sandwich Islands; notice of several of these, 
— The Kings Mercantile Speculations. — New Rus- 
sian Establishment, — Method of curing Pork. — 
Norfolk Sovind, — jfealousy of the Russians. — 
Native Women, — Hostility betiveen the Natives 
and Russians. 

COM COMLEY, king of the Chinook nation, 
is the richest and most powerful chief on the 
river; he is a short, elderly man, blind of 
one eye; he has three wives, and many children. 
Mis eldest son (Cassacas) is a strong, well-made 
man, about 5 feet 6 inches high; he succeeds his 
father in the government of the Chinooks; he is 
no friend to white men; he styles himself Prince 
of Wales. Selechel is the next son; he styles 
himself Duke of York; he is a small man, and 
well disposed towards the whites. While we lay 
in the river, a man belonging to a tribe in the 
interior, called Soosoonees, came to Chinook, 
and lired an arrow at Com Comley while bathing 



66 A TRIBAL WAR AVERTED. 

in the river, and fled to the woods. The king 
instantly dispatched his head slave (who was a 
favourite) in pursuit of the man who had crossed 
over to the fort; the slave came up with him at 
the entrance of the woods, and with one blow 
of his bludgeon brought him to the ground, 
and dispatched him with a dagger. He then 
painted himself black, tied his hair up in a bunch, 
bound his arms and legs with grass, and went 
through the woods for three days and nights, 
crying the war-hoop, as a challenge of defiance. 
In the night we were much alarmed at the dread- 
ful yelling, and put ourselves on guard against 
the worst, having seen many war canoes hovering 
about, and all the natives making warlike prepara- 
tions. King Com Comley, however, made it up 
with the party, and prevented bloodshed. 

A little above Com Comle^^'s village is another 
belonging to the Chinook tribe, under a chief 
called Tackum, consisting of about 30 houses. 
On Point Adams there is a large village and tribe 
denominated Cladsaps, who differ in nothing 
from the Chinooks; these, with the Chickeloes, 
are the only tribes about the entrance of the river. 
All these people are superstitious to an excess, 
believing in spirits and supernatural agency. 
Apparently they have no professed religion, 
though they universally acknowledge one good 
spirit, who governs all things; and when it 
thunders they say he is angry. They also believe 
in an evil spirit, and in rewards and punishments 
hereafter. A confused idea prevails among them , 
that the world was destroyed by water, and will 



RELIGIOUS IDEAS AND CUSTOMS. 67 

be again destroyed by the same element. They 
say, that when a good man dies, he goes to a 
world where there is plenty of provisions, and 
where there is no occasion to work; and on the 
contrary, when a bad man dies, he will go to a 
country where the provisions are scare, and 
where he will be forced to work hard, and meet 
with many and great difficulties. It may be 
gathered from this what is indeed the truth, that 
these Indians have a very great aversion to work. 
They observe the rite of circumcision, and have 
slaves whom they purchase from other tribes, 
prisoners who have been taken in war. On the 
death of a chief, from three to six slaves are 
sacrificed, according to the rank of the deceased. 
In the winter season all the tribes move back to 
the woods, where they have their winter villages. 
In summer they catch sturgeon, salmon, and a 
variety of small fish, etc- ; in the fall of the year 
they have plenty of ducks, geese, and swans, 
and in spring an abundance of small fish like 
'sardines. The climate is much the same as in 
England: from May till October the weather is 
very fine, the wind generally blowing from N. W. 
to N. E. The wet season commences in Novem- 
ber with heavy gales from S. W. to S. E. with 
much rain and thunder. In some seasons the 
frost sets in early in November, and lasts for a 
month or two, after which the rains commence, 
and continues for the same time. During summer 
many of the tribes from the interior visit the fort 
with furs, and always encamp in a small bay close 
to it, where they are protected. Disputes fre- 



68 SLAVES IN EXCHANGE FOR FURS. 

quently occur between these tribes and King 
Comle3^'s tribe, in consequence of their having 
diverted some of the trade out of his hands. He 
used to take goods up the country, and trade 
with the tribes there, bringing the furs to the fort, 
where he had a prolit of nearly half, so that it was 
to his adv^antage to keep them from the fort, by 
telling them the white men were bad, and would 
take them off and make slaves of them. I am 
sorry to say that the slave trade is carried on, on 
this coast, to a very great extent by the Americans. 
They buy slaves to the southward and take them 
to the northward, where they exchange them for 
the sea otter and other furs. If they cannot buy 
the slaves cheap, the3^ make no scruple to carry 
them off by force. A Captain Ayres, of the ship 
Mercury^ took twelve from the Columbia river in 
this manner, but while bearing down the coast, 
seven of them seized the whale-boat and ran from 
the ship; only one, however, arrived at the river. 
This Captain Ayres was so oppressive that three 
of his men left him, and were kept by Com Com- 
ley for twelve months; the}^ afterwards got off in 
the American ship Albatross, 

The chief articles of trade given in exchange 
to all the natives on the coast are muskets, 
blankets, powder, shot, red paint, (which they 
use to paint their faces,) tobacco, beads, buttons, 
thick brass wire, with which they make bracelets, 
rings, etc.; ready-made clothes are in great 
demand; but, in fact, any trifling toys will please 
them. The country is full of bears, wolves, 
tiger-cats, foxes, racoons, rabbits, muskrats, 



REVISIT THE SANDWICH IST.ANDS. 69 

wood-rats, deer, elk, land otter, beaver, and many 
other animals. The sea otters are taken on the 
coast, but never enter the river. The war canoes 
are hewn out of a tree, generalty the same length 
as the others, and the same breadth; fore and aft 
they have a kind of curve about 3 feet above the 
o-unwale at each end; these curves are from. 3 to 
4 feet wide, and in them are a sort of loop-holes, 
through which they shoot their arrows in perfect 
safety. 

What surprises the Indians very much is, that 
the people who come here in ships should know 
those who came overland; and that those who 
travel across the country should return again in 
ships. 

It may be remembered, we left the river on the 
loth day of January, 1817, for the Sandwich 
Islands, our object was, to refit the brig and cure 
pork. We were also to bring as many of the 
Sandwich Islanders to the Columbia river as we 
could conveniently accommodate. On the 27th 
we saw Owhyhee (Hawaii), after a quick and 
pleasant passage; we stood along shore as usual; 
the natives came off in great numbers, bringing 
pigs, tarrow, yams, goats, plantains, rope, and 
fruit of every description. Next day we anchored 
off Tyroa (Kailua), close to the king's moral 
(temple). King Tameameah (Kamehameha) and 
his family came on board as usual, and were 
rejoiced to see us. He assured us we should 
have every thing we wished for that the islands 
afforded or he could command; and commenced 
sending hogs on board. 



yo T.AHAINA A BEAUTTFUT. VILT.AGE. 

On the 1st of February we sailed from Owhyhee 
(Hawaii), his majesty sending" a trusty man with 
us named Kenopoo, to see that we got what we 
wanted. We had directions to touch at Mowee 
(Maui), where we should have plenty of hogs, salt 
and rope. When weighing our anchor we found 
it was fast under a rock, where it inevitably must 
have remained, had not the king sent his divers 
down to clear it. The depth of water was eight 
fathoms. We now made sail towards Mowee, 
our ship, as usual, full of natives. Next morn- 
ing we passed Morokenee (Molokini), and made 
sail up Mackerey (Maalaea) bay; here we lay 
until the 6th, and took on board a great quantity 
of hogs, salt, and vegetables. This bay is very 
deep and wide, and nearly divides the island, 
there being but a narrow neck of land and very 
low, keeping the two parts of the island together. 
There is good anchorage ; and the only danger 
arises from the trade winds, which blow so strong 
at times as to drive ships out of the bay with two 
anchors down; it lies N. E. and S. W. and is well 
sheltered from every other wind. The neck of 
land is so low, and the land so high on each side, 
that the N. E. trade comes through like a hurri- 
cane. On this neck of land are their principal 
salt-pans, where they make most excellent salt. 
Our next station was in Lehina (Lahaina) roads. 
This beautiful village has the appearance of a 
fine garden, laid out with the greatest taste in 
fish-ponds, tarrow (kalo) patches, cane patches, 
groves of bread fruit and plantain trees, so 
delightfully arranged that nothing can surpass it. 



ARRIVAL AT HONOLULU. 7I 

On the 9th, the brig, full of hogs and natives, got 
under weigh from this romantic spot, bound for 
Woahoo (Oahu); we were becalmed for three 
days between the islands of Mowee (Maui), Moro- 
toi (Molokai), Tahoorooa (Kahoolawe), and Raini 
(Lanai). On the 13th of February we were off 
the harbour of Honorora (Honolulu), and John 
Harbottle, the king's pilot, came on board; but it 
was not till the 20th that the trade wind suffered 
us to get in shore. We found a brig and a ship 
here belonging to the king, the former was called 
the Foi^ester^ now Taamano (Kaahumanu), after 
the king's favorite wife, and had been sold to him 
by Captain Piggot; the ship was an American, 
called the Albatross^ sold by Captain Winship. 
The Taamano (Kaahumanu) was fitting out for 
Canton, and taking sandal wood on board for the 
China market; she was commanded by Mr. 
Adams, the man who had navigated the Foi' ester 
under Captain Piggot, and the crew consisted of 
about ten natives and ten white men. She sailed 
for Canton on the 22nd of February, 1817. 

To our great surprise we found a very fine 
battery, built on the point, mounting about 60 
guns, and learned that, during our absence, the 
Russians had sent two ships from New Archangel, 
or Norfolk Sound, to these islands, with Russians 
and Kodiacks, to form an establishment. The^^ 
called at Owhyhee (Hawaii), and thence came 
down to Woahoo, where they were well treated 
\)y the natives, and allowed to land what they 
pleased; as soon as they got footing on shore^ 
they commenced building block houses, and 



72 RUSSIANS KXPET.T.ED : FORT BTIIT.T. 

squarino' out a place for a fort, under the direction 
of Mr. Shefham. They even hoisted the Russian 
colours. Mr. John Young-, the white man before 
mentioned in this narrative, who had resided on 
these islands about 36 years, communicated this 
intellig-ence to the king and chiefs, all of whom 
were on Owh3^hee. The chiefs were immediately 
sent down to Woahoo with orders from Tamea- 
meah (Kamehameha) that the Russians should quit 
the islands instantly, and if they did not depart 
quietly that force must be used. The Russians 
not finding themselves strong enough to resist went 
peaceably off. The Islanders then built the fort 
under the direction of John Young. A party was 
kept constantly on shore curing the pork, which 
was done in the following manner •* — We killed the 
pigs late in the evening, bled them well, and hung 
them up in the tent; next morning, before sun- 
rise, we cut them up in four-pound pieces, and 
took out the back-bone ; the pieces were then well 
rubbed with salt, and packed in a puncheon, with 
holes in the lower head for the pickle to drain off: 
they remained in this manner till the next day, 
under a good press; they were then taken out, 
resalted, and packed in another cask, where they 
remained for a week: at the end of which thej^ 
were finally packed and pickled, putting a small 
quantity of salt-petre in each cask ; in this manner 
we even salted the heads ; we cured about one hun- 
dred barrels and never lost a piece. While we lay 
here w^e gave half the people leave to go on shore 
each night; our carpenter had frequent occasion 
to go into the woods to cut timber, which he did 



DEPART FOR NORFOLK SOUND. 73 

in safety, and we were extremely well treated by 
the natives. On the 14th of April, being complete 
in provisions, repairs, etc., we took on board 60 
natives (being all we could conveniently accom- 
modate), for the Columbia River, and stood out 
of the harbour, after saluting the fort, which was 
returned. Made sail toward Atooi; on the i6th 
we got off the village of Whymea (Waimea), and 
were surprised at not seeing any of the natives 
push off. Doctor Shefham, the Russian, came on 
board in a bodarkee ; he would not allow us to have 
any communication with the shore, and through 
policy we did not press the point, but made all 
sail to the northward towards Norfolk Sound. 
Next day we passed Mokoo Manoo, (Moku Manu) 
or Bird Island. There are no inhabitants here, 
although the land seems good, and covered with 
cocoanut and plantain trees. The latitude is 23° 
8' North, Longitude 161° 45 West. Arrived at 
Norfolk Sound on the loth of May, and found 
the American brig Brutus^ Captain Meeks, char- 
tered by the Governor Baranoff to go to Kams- 
chatka with a cargo of furs, and bring Russians 
from thence to Norfolk Sound. Finding our 
boarding defences of no use we sold them to the 
governor, who had them fixed round his house. 
While here we were well supplied with fish, and 
often visited by the natives, who brought off 
plenty of sea otter skins in the night; they are 
much the same as the Indians on the Columbia, 
the only difference is in the appearance of the 
women, who perforate their lower lip with a 
copper wire, enlarging the hole daily by putting 



74 SOME CUSTOMS DESCRIBED. 

in a small plug of wood, which is exchanged each 
day for a larger, till they get a piece of wood in of 
an oval shape, about two inches long, an inch 
broad, and half an inch thick; this drags the 
lip down, and leaves the gums and teeth quite bare, 
and gives them a most disgusting appearance. 
Both men and women chew tobacco, of which the 
women in particular are very fond. Some of the 
natives in Chatham Straits squeeze their heads 
into a sugar-loaf shape, by means of binding it 
round with kelp or sea' weed when they are 
young. They also use paint, and powder their 
hair with the down of geese or swans. They 
wear the hair long, but, on the death of a chief, 
cut it short round the head. They have their 
noses perforated with a large quill. The natives 
here are great warriors, and very hostile to the 
Russians, whom they often annoy by attacking 
their bodarkees; however, they do not always 
kill them, but are satisfied with running a spear 
through them and leaving them to their fate. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Cape Edgecombe ; Navigation. — The precautions of 
the Russians to prevent Trade.— Return to the 
Columbia, — Trading Expedition along shore to 
Southward. — Natives near Cape- Orford, — The 
Coast to the South. — Port Trinidad; the Natives 
there; Misunderstandijig ; Traffic; Decorimi of the 
Females; their Dress; extraordinary Tattooing of 
the Tongue, etc., Massacre of a Spanish Crew; 
Character of the People; Difficulties in getting 
out the Vessel. — Arrive at Bodago Bay. — The 
Russians and Natives. — Account of the Russian 
Settlement on New Albion. — Prodigious Vegeta- 
tion. 

CAPE EDGECOMBE is in latitude 57° 2' 
North, and longitude 135° 34' West, and is 
a remarkably high bluff cape, with a moun- 
tain just above it, called Mount Edgecombe, 
from which it takes its name. It has been a burn- 
ing mountain, and is quite flat on the top, which is 
constantly covered with snow. Ships bound to this 
sound, from the southward, and coming in by 
point Woodhouse, which is the south point of the 
sound, must not approach nearer the point than 
three miles, as there is a sunken rock on which 



^6 RUSSIAN TRADE PRECAUTIONS. 

the sea sometimes breaks, and is very dangerous , 
the course from here to the light-house is north, 
which will take you clear of all dangers. The 
Russians never keep a light in the light-house, 
unless they see a ship in the offing before dark. 
The sound is full of islands, and on the south 
side there are some hot springs. The gun-boats 
are continually going round it to protect the 
hunters and fishermen ; to carry in any canoes 
they may find with furs, and make prisoners of 
the men till they are ransomed by their friends. 
Whenever we arrived or sailed, we had several 
of the Russian boats about us to prevent the 
Indians from coming off to trade; but sometimes 
in the night they contrived to elude their vigilance, 
and get on board to traffic with- us. We had 
variable winds and bad weather all the passage 
to the river, where we at length arrived, June 12, 
1817, and came-to under the fort in our old berth, 
sent the islanders on shore, and commenced 
landing our cargo. July 12, after, as usual, com- 
pleting our wood and water, we took some goods 
on board for the southward, and sailed to see 
what we could do in the way of trade with the 
Indians on New Albion. The American brig 
Alexander arrived here from America with stores 
for the settlement. She took on board the furs 
for Canton, and ran out of the river in company 
with us. We parted outside; they stood to the 
northward and we to the southward along shore; 
the weather being foggy, we sounded occasion- 
ally in from 30 to 13 fathoms water, over a bed 
of rocks, off Cape Foulweather, in latitude 44° 



TRADING ALONG THE COAST. 77 

49' North, longitude 123'' 56'. West. On the 14th 
it cleared up, and we saw Cape Orford, bearing- 
S. E. seven leagues; the nearest land two miles, 
latitude 43"^ North; observed many smokes on 
shore. About noon, several canoes came off 
within hail of the ship ; we waved to them to come 
closer, which they did, displaying green boughs 
and bunches of white feathers; they stopped 
paddling, and one man, whom we took to be a 
chief, stood up, and made a long speech, which 
we did not understand. We then waved a white 
flag, and they immediately pulled for the ship, 
singing all the way. When they came alongside 
we gave them a rope, and made signs for them to 
come on board, which nothing could induce them 
to do; they seemed quite terrified, and after 
handing some land-furs on board, for which we 
gave them beads and knives, they seemed well 
pleased, and made signs that if we came nearer 
the shore, they would bring us plenty. They 
also brought some berries, fish, and handsome 
baskets for sale. These men were tall and well 
formed, their garments made of dressed deer- 
skins, with a small round hat, in shape of a basin, 
that fitted close round the head; none of the 
women made their appearance. Their canoes 
do not seem to be so well constructed as the 
canoes in the Columbia, which cannot be occa- 
sioned by want of material, as the country appears 
to be w^ell wooded. We observed a bay which 
looked well sheltered from the N. W. winds. 
About four o'clock the natives left the ship sing- 
ing, and, when they got to a certain distance, 
made another long speech. 



78 ARRIVE AT PORT TRINIDAD. 

We now stood along shore toward Cape Orf ord, 
sounding" occasional!}^ in from 30 to 70 fathoms; 
sandy bottom from four to six miles from shore ; 
the wind increasing from N. W. stood off from 
the land under easy sail for the night. Next 
morning we ran in, and lay-to off an Indian 
village, to the southward of Cape Orford; saw 
many natives on the shore, but it blew too hard 
for them to launch their canoes; we intended to 
have anchored here, there being, apparently, a 
snug, well-sheltered bay, from all but the S. W., 
but it was too rough to send the boat from the 
ship to sound it; we therefore filled and ran along 
shore, at the distance of three miles. The land 
had a very fine appearance, the hills well wooded, 
and the plains covered with Indian huts. To- 
wards night, the gale increased so much, that we 
were obliged to haul off under a close reefed main 
top-sail and fore-sail, and, before morning, had 
to lay-to under bare poles. On the 19th of July, 
the gale broke; we again stood in for the land, 
and were becalmed for three days, within six 
miles of the shore, where we saw many smokes. 
We were driven fast to the southward by the 
current; on the 24th a breeze sprang up, and we 
made sail for Port Trinidad, in latitude 41° 3', 
longitude 123° 54' west; hauled into a small sandy 
bay, where we moored, sheltered from all winds, 
a few ships' lengths from the shore, in nine fath- 
oms sandy bottom. This bay is full of high rocks, 
which are always covered with birds, and round it 
are scattered many Indian villages. We had 
scarcely time to moor before we were surrounded 



WEAPONS AND DRESS OF INDIANS. 79 

with canoes; we triced our boarding nets up, and 
shut all our ports but one, at which the natives en- 
tered, keeping" all the canoes on the starboard side ; 
and, as the Indians came on board, we took their 
bows and daggers from them , at which they seem- 
ed much displeased. One man (a chief) would 
not give up his dagger, and we pushed him back 
into his canoe ; upon which he immediately strung 
his bow, and pointed an arrow at me, as being the 
most active in sending him out of the ship. In 
an instant he had several muskets pointed at him, 
upon seeing which, he lost no time in laying his 
bow down. Shortly after he came on board, 
and seemed sorry for what he had done, and 
made me a present of a fine bow. Everything 
being thus settled, we gave them some bread and 
molasses, of which they eat heartily. We then 
commenced trading, and got a few land furs, 
which they brought off, for pieces of iron-hoop, 
cut into 6-inch lengths. They also brought us 
plenty of red deer and berries. In the afternoon, 
some women made their appearance : the people 
offered them blankets and axes, but nothing could 
tempt them to come on board. This is the only 
place on the coast where we could not induce 
the females to visit the ship. It appears that these 
natives have not had much communication with 
Europeans, as they do not know the use of fire- 
arms ; nor have they any iron among them. Their 
daggers are made of a sort of flint-stone, and they 
are clothed in dressed leather apparel, prettily 
ornamented with shells. The women wear a 
very finely dressed leather petticoat, which 



8o SPANISH CREW MASSACRED. 

reaches half way down the lejj, and a square gar- 
ment of the same thrown loosely over the shoul- 
ders. Their tong-ues and chins are tattooed; the 
former is quite black, the latter in stripes. Whe- 
ther this is considered a mark of beauty or not I 
cannot tell, but the women here are in general 
very handsome and well made. We saw a cross 
on shore, fixed there by the Spaniards many 
years ago, when there was a Spanish launch 
driven on shore, and the Indians massacred the 
whole crew. The different tribes in this bay are 
always at war with each other ; they never met on 
board, and if the tribe which was on board trad- 
ing, saw another tribe approaching, they imme- 
diately went on shore to protect their wives and 
property. They all seem to be brave, warlike 
people. Their canoes are b}^ far the safest I ever 
saw on the coast, being from i6 to 20 feet long, 
and from 6 to 8 feet broad, square at both ends 
and flat bottomed. They have ridges inside about 
a foot apart, which look exactly like the timbers 
of a boat, and serve to strengthen them very 
much. The only words of this tongue we could 
pick up was, / ai guai^ which is a term of friend- 
ship, and chilese^ which means barter. When 
they speak they put the tongue to the roof of the 
mouth, and utter sounds as if their mouth were 
full. After having bought all the furs here, on 
the 24th of July we weighed anchor, and, after 
encountering considerable difficulties, owing to 
the bad weather, succeeded in getting out. This 
was fortunate, as, had we gone on shore, (there 
not being the least shelter in this part of the bay). 



VISIT BODAGO BAY FOR REPAIRS. 8 1 

the Indians were ready to receive and massacre 
us, for they are, without exception, the most sav- 
age tribes on all the coast. 

Having- stood out to sea, we deepened our 
water to 45 fathoms, when the wind again died 
away, the sea setting us fast on to the shore; we 
had but one bower anchor and stream left, and, 
to crown all, it came on a thick fog. We spent 
a most anxious night, sounding from 40 to 20 
fathoms. We could hear the sea break on the 
beach very distinctly; the order was given to 
stand by our best bower anchor, when it pleased 
God to send a fine breeze from the N. W. and 
deliver us from our dangerous situation. We 
immediately made all sail from the coast. Next 
day, July 26, we saw Cape Mendocino, (latitude 
40° 19' north, longitude 124^7' west), north about 
four leagues, found our bowsprit sprung, and 
determined to run to Bodago-bay and fish it; 
stood along shore accordingly, and on the 28th 
got off the settlement, fired a gun, and several 
bodarkees came off, bringing with them some 
fresh pork and vegetables. We here moored 
and fished our bowsprit. Captain Jennings then 
went to the settlement in the whale boat to try 
and dispose of his cargo to the Russians, but 
returned to the ship in two days without having 
effected his purpose. While we lay here the 
Russians sent us some fresh provision and vege- 
tables; the natives also visited us in their canoes, 
which are nothing more than several large bun- 
dles of rushes lashed together. They seem to be 
the poorest tribe in these parts, although the 



82 SETTLEMENT ON NEW AT.BION. 

country is by far the finest; the climate is so pure 
and the grounds so good, that the Russians grow 
two crops per year. 

The Russian establishment on the coast of 
New Albion is in latitude 38° 30' and longitude 
— ° — ', about four leagues to the northward of 
this fine bay and harbour, called Bodago, where 
they have a large store. Here their ships gene- 
rally call and sometimes winter, there being no 
shelter for ships off the establishment. The 
reason for their having it so far from the harbour 
is the scarcity of timber, which is very necessary 
in the forming of a settlement, and where they 
now are, the country is covered with fine oak, 
ash, and pine timber, fit for ship building. They 
had on the stocks, and nearly fit for launching, a 
fine brig of 150 tons, built of good oak. They 
get excellent hemp on the coast of California, 
and make good rope. This settlement consists 
of about 100 houses and huts, with a small fort 
on the point, and about 500 inhabitants, Russians 
and Kodiacks. The land is in the highest state 
of cultivation, growing excellent wheat, potatoes, 
hemp and all kinds of vegetables ; and the soil so 
rich as to produce (as already mentioned) two 
crops in the year. I have seen radishes that 
weighed from one pound to 28 pounds, and much 
thicker than a stout man's thigh, and quite good 
all through, without being the least spongy. 
They have a large stock of cattle, sheep, and 
pigs; and seem to be in the most flourishing con- 
dition under the direction of Governor Kutzkoff . 
Hence hunters are sent down the coast of Cali- 



NaRFOLK SOUND A FUR DEPOT. 83 

fornia for the purpose of taking- the sea otter, 
which are very plentiful along the coast. The 
colony also sends a vessel to Norfolk Sound once 
a year, with the furs collected, and with wheat 
and hemp. Norfolk Sound is the principal depot ; 
from thence the furs are sent to Kamschatka. 



^.\ 



/ 

O 



CHAPTER IX. 

Coasting Tirade to Sir F. Drake's Harbour. — Return 
to Trinidad Bay. — Attacked by the Indians. — 
Return to Columbia. — Mission up the Country to 
the Cladsap Tribe; its Success. — Description of 
the Country. — The Northwest Company's Estab- 

10 lishment. 

\,\ 

OiNi tliL 1 8th of August, 181 7, we completed 
our work here, (Bodago), weighed the 
anchor, and stood away for the Farelone 
rocks of islands, \u the latitude of 37° 40' North, 
and longitude 122"^ o' West. Next day we ran 
close to the rocks, and I went on shore to look 
for fur-seals. On landing we found plenty of 
hair seals, but very few fur; we knocked down 
a fpw of them, and brought them on board, with 
a number of young gulls, which were fat and 
good. We then made sail towards a larger group 
of islands, where also we landed, and were sur- 
prised to find about thirty Russians and Kodiacks 
with their wives. They had a Hag-staff erected, 
but showed no colours. Their houses were built 
of stone, and they seemed very comfortable; 
they remain here for the purpose of collecting 
fur-seals and drying the flesh of the sea-lion, 



TOUCH AT SIR F. DRAKE S HARBOR. 75 

which is quite as good as Spanish jerked beef. 
In fine weather, a skin-boat comes from Bodago 
with a supply of fresh water, there not being a 
drop on the islands, and, in return, takes what 
meat and skins have been collected. The people 
have no means of leaving the island, having no 
boat, nor materials to build one. Finding we 
could do nothing here, we took on board a good 
stock of seals and gull's eggs, also plenty of 
young gulls. We then stood for the harbour of 
Sir Francis Drake, and next day anchored in 
the baj^ in 5% fathoms, hoisted the boats out, and 
I went with a party on shore to look for natives. 
I returned on board in the evening, having seen 
but few, and those very poor. This part of the 
country is delightfully pleasant, with many small 
rivers running through the valleys. While on 
shore, we killed a number of large snakes and 
adders, and saw many deer and foxes, but they 
were very shy. We also observed the tracks of 
bears. This bay is very well sheltered from all 
winds. August loth, 1817, we ran along shore 
to the northward; passed many Indian villages, 
but no natives came off, I believe for want of 
canoes, there being no wood on this part of the 
coast. On the 20th of August, we again stood into 
the bay of Trinidad, to endeavour to receive our 
anchor, and next morning I went with the whale 
boat and long-boat with purchases to raise it, 
leaving the captain with only six men on board to 
take care of the ship. We started before day- 
light, that the natives should not take notice of 
us; it came on so thick a fog, that we not only 



76 A A SAVAGE INDIAN TRIBE. 

did not succeed in finding the buoy, but had much 
ditficulty in regaining- the vessel. About six 
o'clock in the evening, however, we got on board, 
and learnt that the Indians had been very trouble- 
some during our absence. In consequence of 
their seeing but few men, they had made several 
attempts to board the ship, but were as often beat 
out of the nets. It was of no use to point the 
muskets at them, for they were ignorant of their 
effect, until some of the men shot several gulls 
that were flying about the ship. Upon this, they 
began to be less daring, and, as we fired a few 
muskets on approaching, they made for the shore, 
as quick as possible. We now gave up all hopes 
of recovering our anchor, and at daylight 
weighed, and made sail, thinking it dangerous to 
remain any longer among this savage tribe. We 
stood along shore to the N. E., saw many small 
villages, but the sea was so rough that none of 
the natives came off. Next day we stood close 
under Point St. George to find anchorage, seeing 
a very large village and many natives on the shore. 
We sounded round the bay in from 12 to 20 fath- 
oms, over afoul bottom, one and two miles from 
shore. Many canoes came off, and the natives ap- 
peared quite friendly. We bought several good 
sea otter skins at an axe for each skin ; many bows , 
arrows, daggers, etc., for small beads. The 
canoes here are similar to those at Port Trinidad. 
As the anchorage was not good, and we had bought 
all the furs brought off, we stood out to sea; the 
natives kept on board as long as they could. 
We then beat up along shore to the northward, 



RETURN TO C01.UMBIA RIVER. 77 A 

trading- with the Indians, to Point Gregory, in 
latitude 43"^. Here we continued our traffic, and 
on the 2nd of September hauled off to the west- 
ward, to look for a seal island, said to have been 
seen by an American vessel. On the loth of 
October, after a fruitless search, we arrived off 
the Columbia river, sent the furs on shore, and 
set the carpenter to work to make a bowsprit; 
we took on board wood and water; also six long 
i2-pounders, with powder and shot, for the Sand- 
wich Islands. On the 20th of October, I was 
sent with a party of thirty-three from the fort and 
ship to the Cladsaps' winter quarters, about 30 
miles distant, to bring back John Carpenter, the 
blacksmith, (one of the men we landed here on 
our first arrival) ; he had behaved very well for 
some time, but at length got quite unruly, and 
deserted to the Cladsap tribe. Several messen- 
g-ers were sent at different times, but to no pur- 
pose, as he was protected by the tribe, none of 
whom had visited the fort since his desertion. 
Mr. Keith, the governor, fearing" that the Indians 
would make an attempt to storm the fort at some 
time, headed by this desperate man, determined 
to have him banished from the river; and I was 
accordingly dispatched with orders to bring him 
dead or alive, together with the chief of the 
villag-e at which I found him. We left the ship 
at about 6 o'clock in the evening" in the cutter and 
whale boat, and pulled up Young's River to the 
south point, where we landed, and secured the 
boats in a small creek, and left two men to take 
care of them. We travelled through woods, over 



78^ MISSION TO THE CLADSAPS. 

plains, crossed small rivers and creeks, passed 
many Indian habitations, and just at day-light 
arrived at the winter village of the Cladsaps, 
before the Indians were awake. We sent one of 
our guides into the chief's huts to see if Car- 
penter was there, who returned in a few minutes, 
and informed us that he was, and asleep; I then 
placed the men round the house to prevent his 
escape, and taking the second mate with me, we 
entered the hut, found him in bed, and, after a 
violent struggle, secured him, by lashing his 
hands behind him. By this time the Indians were 
collecting and arming. They poured in from all 
parts, and seemed disposed to prevent our taking 
away our prisoner; and Carpenter's female com- 
panion was very active in instigating them to 
liberate her husband. I drew my party up in a 
double line, and then stepped out and told the 
Indians, that I did not come to trouble them, but 
merely to take the white man to the fort. They 
answered, that he came to them for protection, 
and they would protect him. I informed them, 
if they attempted to stop him, what they might 
expect; and ordered the party to march, which 
it did without being molested. I did not like to 
provoke a quarrel with them by taking their 
chief, there being about 156 men well armed 
with bows and muskets, who might have cut us 
all off, before we could reach our boats. We 
therefore took Carpenter, and with him made the 
best of our way, passing over a most beautiful 
country, an extensive plain, with many small 
rivulets. This spot appeared capable of the 



THE BLACKSMITH IMPRISONED. 79 A 

highest cultivation, and was covered with berries 
of different sorts. We saw many horses and 
deer, and also the mountain sheep. There were 
many small villages scattered about the plain, the 
natives of which treated us very kindly. In the 
evening we arrived at the boats, and about 8 
o'clock at the fort, all very much fatigued with 
our journey, the result of which gave great satis- 
faction to the governor. Carpenter was well 
secured over the gate of the fort; his hand-cuffs 
were made with a nut to screw tight on, and then 
clinched; his legs were fastened in the same 
manner, and a large hoop made to go tight round 
his body, with a chain from each side of it, which 
was stretched tight out, and locked to the post of 
the gate. Here he was kept until the Columbia 
was ready for sea. November the 14th we left 
the river for the Sandwich Islands, to sell the 
vessel; and if we did not succeed at the Islands, 
we had orders to proceed to Norfolk Sound, and 
dispose of her to the Russians. The Northwest 
Company's Establishment lies about seven miles 
from Point Adam, on the south side of the river, 
above a small bay, where ships are in great 
safety out of the strength of the tide. There is 
a very good wharf with a crane for landing or 
shipping goods. The settlement is a square of 
about 200 yards, surrounded by pickets about 15 
feet high, and protected by two bastions, one on 
the S. W. and the other on the N. E. corner. 
Each of these bastions mounts eight guns, four 
and six pounders; and there are loop-holes for 
musketry. The grand entrance is through a 



8oA THE N. W. company's ESTABLISHMENT. 

large double gate on the north side, above which 
there is a platform for the sentry to walk; on 
this are several swivels mounted. As you enter 
the fort, or square, there is a two-story house, 
with two long i8-pounders in front of it on the 
south side ; on the east is a range of low build- 
ings, where the clerks have their apartments; 
and in the same row stands the grand hall, w^here 
the gentlemen assemble to dinner, etc. The 
houses for the men are on the same side, and 
behind the two-storj^ or governor's house ; in the 
S. W. corner, is the magazine well secured; 
along the west side stands a range of stores, 
tailor's shop, and Indian trading shop; in the S. 
E. corner the blacksmith's and cooper's shops, 
and on the N. E. corner a granary for the corn. 
In the N. W. corner stands a very high flag-staff, 
erected by the crew of the Columbia, The whole 
of the settlers here do not exceed 150 men, most 
of whom keep Indian women, who live inside of 
the fort with them. Nearly all the settlers are 
Canadians. The clerks and partners are Scotch. 
They are constantly employed in cutting down 
the wood, and improving the fort: the men are 
not allowed the ground on their own account, 
the company being fearful they would in time 
become independent, and leave them. The 
Company's canoes arrive here from the interior, 
in the spring. and fall; they bring the furs that 
are collected at the different posts on the west 
side of the stoney mountains, and take back 
stores for the posts. The canoes are manned 
with Euroque Indians and Canadians, under the 



THE DRINK HABIT ENCOURAGED. Sl"^ 

direction of a partner and several young clerks. 
When they arrive in the fall, the boatman encamp 
outside the fort; they are each served out with 
a half pint of rum, and their year's clothing, and 
orders are issued, that those men who do not get 
drunk, must go to the wood and cut timber. 
The liquor shop is then opened, and kept by one 
of the clerks; a scene of drunkenness and all 
manner of vice follows. A frolick of this kind 
will cost them a year's pay and upwards; they 
generally agree for two years, at the end of which 
time they find themselves in debt, are therefore 
obliged to agree for two years longer, and in this 
manner are kept in the service till they are gray- 
headed. The Company have a train of posts 
from the Columbia River to the rocky or stoney 
mountains, and from thence to Montreal; all the 
furs that are collected at the west side of these 
mountains are brought to the Columbia, and sent 
from thence to China; and all that are collected 
on the east side are sent to Montreal, and from 
thence to England. At this settlement they have 
cleared about 200 acres of ground, and planted 
about 20 acres with potatoes for the use of the 
gentlemen, their object being to collect furs, and 
not to cultivate or improve the land. They have 
about twelve head of cattle with some pigs and 
goats, imported here from California; their stock 
does not increase, for want of proper care, the 
wolves often carrying off goats and pigs. 



CHAPTER X. 

Voyage to the Sandwich Islands ; various Transactions 
there; Superstitious Omen; Death of a Chief; 
Rentarkable Funeral Ceremonies, Taboo, and Cus- 
toms co'inected with these Rites. — Whymea, — The 
Russian Intrigues with the Natives, and their 
consequences, — Different trading trips, to show the 
Nature of the Island Commerce. — The ship given 
up. — Situation of the Men on shore. 

OUR passage to the Sandwich Islands was 
quick and pleasant. On the 6th of Decem- 
ber we made Owhyhee, stood along- shore 
towards Toyhoy (Kawaihae) bay, and ran in. 
Finding no natives came off, we sent the whale 
boat on shore to know what was the reason. The 
boat soon returned with an account that the natives 
were celebrating their annual festival, called 
muckka-hitee (makahiki). This festival lasts a 
month, during which time a canoe is not allowed 
to go on salt water. We also heard, that king 
Tameahmeah was then at the village of Tyroa 
(Kailua), his favourite residence ; we made all sail 
for that place, where we arrived on the loth, and 



''business before pleasure'' reversed. 83 \ 

came too with our only bower anchor off the 
Morai. No canoes being allowed to come off, 
Captain Jennings went on shore to see the king; 
jn the evening the boat returned with some hogs 
and tarrow. The king Tameahmeah told Captain 
Jennings if he would go to the Island of Woahoo, 
and remain until the muckka-hitee was over, he 
should be then able to agree with him about the 
purchase of the ship. We accordingly left 
Tyroa; when we got our anchor up, we found 
one arm broken off. We made all sail for Woa- 
hoo, and on the 14th arrived off the harbour. 
Captain Jennings went on shore, and sent off an 
anchor. We then came too outside the reef, in 
14 fathoms over a sandy bottom, and on the i8th 
we got into the harbour. We found the king's 
brig had returned from Canton, and was laid up 
We found here the brig Bordeaux Packet^ which 
had been purchased from the Americans about a 
month before. A large ship, called the Myrtle, 
was condemned by the Russians, and hauled on 
shore. We moored close to the shore and saluted 
the fort, which was returned by them. In the 
night it came on to blow very hard from the N . E . , 
and continued for several days. 

We sent John Carpenter on shore, and dis- 
charged him of the crew. The taboo was still on, 
consequently none of the natives came on board. 
On the 24th of December, the muckkahitee being 
over, the king's prime minister, named Kreymo- 
koo (Kalaimoku), commonly called Pitt, came on 
board with all the chiefs, accompanied by John 
Young, to inspect the vessel, previous to their 



84 A SALE OF THE BRIG EFFECTED. 

purchasing of her. They seemed much aston- 
ished at our large battery guns; we got one on 
deck, and, mounting it, fired several rounds of 
shot, at which the chiefs were much pleased, 
and the natives crowded from all parts of the 
island to see the poo'nu'ee (pu nui), as they call 
a great gun. Thej^ were all very particular in 
measuring its length, breadth, and size of the 
bore. After the chiefs had carefully inspected 
every part of the brig, John Young was asked 
his opinion of her. He told Mr. Pitt she would 
answer their purpose very well. Kreymokoo 
upon this agreed to give twice the full of the 
vessel of sandal wood for her, to be delivered in 
a space of time not exceeding six months, and 
that we should hold possession of the vessel till 
all the wood was delivered, and that we were to 
be found in provisions while we remained on the 
island. An agreement was drawn up and signed 
by Captain Jennings and Kreymokoo. The 
next day being Christmas day, we invited all the 
chiefs and respectable white men on the island to 
dine with us on shore; we spent a most pleasant 
day, and the chiefs remained with us to a late 
hour. We had a dinner cooked apart for the 
chiefs' wives, as they were not allowed to eat 
with the men. Next day we took on board the 
king's taxes, and January nth, 1818, we sailed 
for Owhyhee, the brig loaded with provisions 
and cloth of the country, this being the time 
at which the natives pay their half-year's taxes. 
We had also a number of chiefs on board, 
and about 400 natives, men, women, and children. 



A ROYAL SALUTE DISCONTINUED. 85 

There was scarcely room to move on the decks 
or in the cabin; even the chains, tops and bow- 
sprit were crowded with them. We touched at 
Mo wee, where they all landed for a few days, 
and nothing" went forward but feasting and 
rejoicing. On the i6th, the chiefs again came on 
board, and we got under weigh for Owhyhee, 
the ship, as before, full of natives. In crossing 
the channel, between Mo wee and Owhyhee, we 
were near upsetting the vessel, being top heavy, 
from the number of them on deck and about the 
rigging. On the i8th, we anchored off Tyroa, 
andTameameah came onbord. Onhis approach, 
all the natives jumped overboard, and left us clear 
decks. We commenced firing a salute, when the 
king called out to us, in a pleasant tone, to stop, 
as the powder was now his, and he wanted it for 
other purposes, probably for the Russians, if they 
should come to trouble him. He was delighted 
with the large guns; and the natives came on 
board, as at Woahoo, to see the poo'nu'ee. Their 
fame was soon spread over the island, but the 
next day we landed them, and by that means got 
rid of the curious natives ; they were placed in 
a square in front of the royal residence, where 
thousands of the people were daily collected to 
look at them. Tameameah found one fault with 
them, which was, that they took too much powder, 
(a charge being four pounds), but he took all our 
small arms, powder, and everything he thought 
would be useful to him, and made the brig over 
to his son and heir Rieo Rieo (Liholiho). On the 
26th of January, we sailed from Owhyhee towards 



86 DEATH OF A HIGH CHIEF. 

Mowee, with our usual cargo of natives ; next day 
we anchored in Lehina Roads, and took on board 
the king's taxes, and made sail for Woahoo. In 
our passage down, during the night, a star shot 
very vividly — the natives gave a sudden scream, 
and told us that the star shooting foretold the death 
of an Owhyhee chief. On the first of February 
we arrived at Woahoo; in crossing the reef the 
brig took the ground, but was soon lightened by 
the natives jumping overboard and swimming on 
shore. About a week after our arrival, a chief, 
named Tereacoo (Kaleioku) died suddenly; he 
went to bed well over night, and in the morning 
got up, and according to custom, smoked a pipe, 
after which he lay down and died. All the natives 
were immediately tabooed, or prohibited from 
going on the water; they all appeared to be in 
great grief, crying and making a dreadful noise. 
They commenced knocking out they teeth, cut- 
ting off their hair, and burning their flesh with 
the bark of a tree; both men and women going 
about quite naked, to demonstrate their grief. 

On the death of the chief, the priests assem- 
bled; thej^ fenced the house in for about fifty 
yards square with wands, having white flags fly- 
ing on them. None of the natives dare come in- 
side this fence, though several thousands of them 
were collected round it. There was a large fire 
made on the outside of the house and inside of 
the fence or prohibited space ; the priests then 
began cutting up the body. They brought the 
heart out, and set it in the fire, praying very de- 
voutly while it was burning ; after which they 



CEREMONIES AT DEATH. 87 

collected the ashes, put them into a calabash, or 
gourd, slung it to a pole, and spread a beautiful 
feather cloak over it. Then two of the chiefs, 
Hikanees, or confidential men, took the pole on 
their shoulders, and ran towards the water, cry- 
ing out very loud, '^Noho, noho ! " (which means 
sit or lie down;) as these men passed, all the na- 
tives lay down and stripped themselves. They 
walked up to their middle in water, and deposited 
the ashes; afterwards the liver and all the inside 
were treated in the same manner. At sundown 
this part of the ceremony ceased, and a crier 
went round the village, calling out, that if any 
man, woman, or child, were seen out of their 
houses, or showed a light or fire, or even smoked 
a pipe, after 8 o'clock that evening, they would 
instantly be put to death. These restrictions 
extended not only to the white people, but even 
to the ships in the harbour; nay, hogs, dogs, 
fowls, etc., were not allowed to be out, least they 
should make a noise, nor were the ships suffered 
to strike the bells next morning. 

At sunrise the Taboo was taken off the ships, 
but still remained in force on shore. This day 
the priests were employed burning the flesh off 
the bones, and scraping them quite clean; the 
ashes were deposited in the sea; the bones were 
then carefully packed up, and a large double 
canoe dispatched with them to Owhyhee. Six 
hours after the canoe sailed, the Taboo was taken 
off the bay, and canoes were allowed to go on 
the water; — in this manner they employ ceremo- 
nies towards all the people of rank. The common 



88 LOADING SANDAL WOOD. 

people dig- up the bones of their relatives after 
the flesh is rotted from them, scrape and clean 
them well, wrap them up in cloth, put them into 
calabashes, or gourds, and hang them up in their 
houses. 

We lay in the harbour until the 17th of March, 
1818, without anything particular occuring, until 
that day, when we received orders from Tamea- 
meah to proceed to the island of Atooai (Kauai) 
for a cargo of sandal-wood. Teymotoo, or Cox, 
with several other chiefs, came on board. We 
made sail, and on the following day came too in 
Whymea Roads. One mile from the village, the 
English ensign was displayed on a very fine fort, 
mounting about thirty guns; the natives came off 
in great numbers ; they informed us that the Rus- 
sians had built the fort, in w^hich there were dun- 
geons, and had actually gone so far as to confine 
some white men and natives. The Russians 
advised Tamoree (Kaumualii), king of Atooai, to 
shake off Tameameah's yoke, and declare war 
against him, in which they would assist him; they 
made him a present of a schooner, and he gave 
them in return a large tract of land. Tama'hon- 
reeranee (Kamahalolani), the head chief under 
Tamooree, was averse to these proceedings. 
The Russians wished to send Tamooree to Peters- 
burg, but could never get him on board. At 
length Tamooree discovered that they wished to 
possess themselves of the island; he consulted 
with his chiefs, returned their schooner, (which 
they refused,) and ordered them on board their 
ships, three of which were lying in a snug 



RUSSIANS EXPELLED FROM KAUAI. 89 

harbour"^ at the west end of the island. They 
resisted, and a scuffle ensued, in which three 
Russians and several natives were killed, but the 
latter at last forced them on board, and Doctor 
Shefham made his escape to Canton in an Ameri- 
can vessel. The Russian ships went to Norfolk 
Sound. The fort does great credit to the engi- 
neer; it is situate on a high point at the entrance 
of the river, and protects the whole town. The 
king, chiefs, and about 150 warriors live within 
it, and keep a regular guard ; they have a number 
of white men for the purpose of working the 
guns, etc. 

Our chiefs landed, and w^ere well received by 
Tamooree; and the next morning they com- 
menced sending wood on board. About 500 
canoes were employed in bringing it off, and by 
the 25th of March we had the ship quite full. 
The king behaved extremely well, and sent us 
off plenty of hogs and vegetables. Our chiefs 
came on board, as did also some Atooi chiefs. 
We weighed and made sail for Woahoo, where 
we anchored the next day, landed our wood, and 
lay until the 19th, when we took on board a cargo 
of salt for the west end of Woahoo. Next day 
we sailed for Whymea bay, on the west end of 
the island, to get another cargo of wood. In our 
passage we touched at Wyeni (Waianae), and 
took on board some wood and hogs. We lay 
here for a few days, and then sailed along shore 
for Whymea, where we arrived on the 22rd, 
threw our ballast out, and took on board a full 

* Refers to Hanalei. 



90 THE COLUMBIA DELIVERED UP. 

cargo of wood in thirty-six hours — more than 200 
canoes employed in bringing it off, day and night. 
We weighed and made sail for Honororoa, where 
we arrived on the 28th, and sent the wood on 
shore. On the ist of May, 1818, we had all our 
wood on shore and stored. On the 2nd of May, 
we hauled down the English colours, and hoisted 
the island colours, saluting them with seven guns ; 
we then gave the ship up to Kreymokoo, or Pitt, 
and went on shore to the houses prepared for 
our reception. It was with the greatest regret I 
left the ship, for it seemed as if I had lost my 
home; and in fact it was some time before I felt 
myself at all comfortable. I had sailed on board 
the Columbia from August, 1813, to May, 1818, 
a period of nearly five years; when she left Eng- 
land, the crew consisted of twenty -five persons, 
and when we sold the vessel at these islands, the 
steward and a black man (who had been for 
several years with me in the West Indian trade) 
and myself were all that remained, and even these 
left before the vessel was given up. Our houses 
were the largest and most pleasantly situated of 
any in the village, and fronting the harbour : (they 
were built by four different villages, each taking 
a house to build and furnish), and quite finished 
in three days. They consisted of two sleeping 
houses and two eating houses, (the one for women 
and the other for men) ; the sleeping-houses and 
women's eating-house were surrounded by a 
fence fifty yards square; the men's eating-house 
was outside of this fence, but fenced in in like 
manner, with a door that led from the sleeping- 



HAWAIIAN HOUSE BUILDING. 9I 

house fence to it. The houses are built in the 
following- manner; they begin by driving stakes 
in the ground eight feet high and three feet apart, 
forked at the upper ends, in which forks are laid 
handsome straight poles ; the ridge pole is raised 
by temporary stakes, the rafters are forked at the 
lower ends, which rest on the forks of the upright ; 
the upper ends of the rafters cross each other on 
the ridge-pole, and are well lashed to it; a second 
ridge pole is now placed in the cross of the rafters 
above the first one, to which it is well lashed; 
they then tie on neat twigs or canes, in the man- 
ner of laths, and thatch the house all over with 
dry grass or leaves of the tee-root. There was 
a door and two windows in the end. The interiors 
were beat down quite hard, and a quantity of 
rushes strewed smooth, and well covered with a 
large coarse mat, made the size of the house, 
above which others were laid of a finer quality. 
At one end was built a large bed-place, stuffed 
with dry grass, and covered neatly with mats. 
Along each side were built sofas, stuffed and 
covered the same as the bed, to keep which out 
of sight there was a light partition. In front of 
the house was builtaraini (lanai), or shed, covered 
with the branches of cocoanut trees, and here 
also a sofa was built. The square in front of the 
house was strewed each morning with green 
rushes. We had a man from Tameameah who 
acted as steward, and whose business it was to 
find us in everything we wanted. We had also a 
watchman to walk round the houses at night, to 
give the alarm of fire, which happens frequently. 



CHAPTER XL 

The Sandwich Islands. — A Patriot or Runaway Ship. 
— History of its change of Masters^ Piracies and 
Plundering. 

ABOUT the middle of May, the Columbia 
took a caro-o to Owhyhee. Captain Jen- 
nings went in her to give her up to the 
King, leaving me to take care of the wood while 
he was Owhyhee. Several American ships called 
here from the coast of Chili, bound to Canton, 
in which most of our crew got off; at this time a 
a canoe arrived from Owhyhee, with an account 
of a large fighting ship having come to Owhyhee 
full of men, but of what country they could not 
tell. A few days after May 20th, 1818, one of 
the King's vessels made her appearance from 
that island, and informed us that a patriot ship, 
called the Santa Rosa^ had arrived from the coast 
of Peru, under the command of Captain Turner, 
from whom Tameameah had purchased the ship 
and cargo, for 6000 piculs of sandal wood. It 
struck me very forcibly, that she must be some 
ship with which the crew had run away, or they 
could not afford to sell her for 6000 piculs, as she 
had a very valuable cargo of dry goods on board, 
and a great deal of money, which was, however, 
shared among the crew. The people were on 



SUSPICIONS AROUSED. 93 

shore after they had made their bargain, and three 
of them came down to Woahoo in the King's 
vessel. I got into conversation with one of them, 
who was half intoxicated, and after inquiring into 
the particulars of their cruise, I asked him what 
they had done with their former Captain? By 
this question he was thrown off his guard, and 
answered, that he had been sent on shore with 
thirteen others, at Valparaiso. When I learned 
this, I went to the chief, named Bokee, and made 
him acquainted with the circumstance ; he had 
them immediately brought to the fort, where an 
examination took place, in the course of which it 
came out, that the ship, Santa Rosa^ alias Checka 
Boca, alias Liberty, had been fitted out at the 
River Plate, under the command of Captain 
Turner, and h^d sailed round Cape Horn, to 
cruise against the Spaniards in the North and 
South Pacific; on going round the Horn there 
were some symptons of mutiny: the men would 
not allow punishment to be inflicted, and Captain 
Turner threatened hard that he would punish 
them severely, when the ship arrived at Valpa- 
raiso. When they had fine weather they were in 
the habit of exercising the guns, and on Sunday, 
the 27th of July, 1817, having thus secured them, 
the man at the mast-head, called out 'A sail, ho!' 
the people ran to their quarters, and one of the 
oflScers went aloft with the glass to look for the 
vessel; when the crew loaded the guns, and 
turned them aft, at the same time seizing the 
captain and officers, and crying out Liberty! 
Captain Turner was standing on the companion 



94 ACCOUNT OF THE MUTINY. 

with a spy glass in his hand, when a man of the 
name of Grifliths, took him by the legs and threw 
him off. The first lieutenant, Mr. Coran, was 
in the cabin getting his pistols, when he heard 
the noise on deck, and found the ship in posses- 
sion of the mutineers; he fired his pistols up the 
companion by which one man was wounded. 
The captain called out to him to blow the ship up ; 
to prevent which, the sailors broke the sky-light, 
and got down and secured him. All the officers 
were then confined in irons in the forecastle, and 
a master's mate, named McDonald, took com- 
mand of the vessel. When they got off Valpa- 
raiso, they sent the captain and officers on shore, 
(excepting Mr. Prockley, the master, whom they 
kept to navigate the ship). They then ran to the 
island of Juan Fernandes to water, and stood 
along the coast, where they captured and des- 
troyed many Spanish vessels. Their next run 
was to the Galipagos Islands to refit, where a 
second mutiny was sent on foot, but discovered. 
They sent the principals on shore, one of whom 
was drowned in landing. Here Mr. Prockley, the 
master, left them, andwentoff in an English whale 
ship. Mr. McDonald then assumed the name 
of Turner, took the command, and appointed 
officers. 

When the ship was fitted and watered, they 
again ran in for the shore, where they took towns, 
destroyed vessels, robbed and burnt churches; 
in short, they became the terror of the coast. 
They sent a party of forty men, under the com- 
mand of Griffiths, who was the first lieutenant, to 



THE SANTA ROSA TAKEN CHARGE OF. 95 

go into a port, and cut out some vessels, of which 
they had information ; but, when this party were 
out of sight of the ship, it was agreed by those 
who remained on board, to steer her to the Sand- 
wich Islands and sell her which they accordingly 
did. Upon our obtaining this information of the 
Smita Rosa, we sent an account of it to Tamea- 
meah, who gave orders for the men to be dis- 
tributed among the chiefs, each to have a certain 
number under his charge to be answerable for; 
shortly after this, the party who had been away 
under the command of Mr. Griffiths, arrived at 
Owhyhee in a small brig, which they had cap- 
tured. They were outrageous at finding the ship 
in possession of the king, and vv^anted him to give 
her up, offering him the brig and all her cargo in 
exchange; but he refused to do so, saying, they 
were robbers, and he would hold the ship for the 
owners. He had her accordingly hauled close in 
shore, and a number of white men and natives 
continually on board, and the guns double shotted. 
Mr. McDonald made his escape on board the 
brig; they touched at Woahoo; I went on board, 
and they gave me letters for England, which I 
since delivered. Hence they ran to Atooai and 
back to Woahoo, hovering about the islands for 
some time in hopes of regaining their ship. In 
the middle of June, Captain Jennings returned 
from Owhyhee, leaving the King in a poor state 
of health; and we now only awaited the arrival 
of American N. W. ships (which generally call 
here in their passage to China), to freight our 
wood to Canton. 



CHAPTER XII. 

Account of the Sandwich Islands, — Woahoo. — 
Customs, Etc, 

THE Island of Woahoo is by far the most 
important of the group of the Sandwich 
Islands, chiefly on account of its excellent 
harbours and good water. It is in a high state 
of cultivation: and abounds with cattle, hogs, 
sheep, goats, horses, etc., as w^ell as vegetables 
and fruit of every description. The ships in 
those seas generally touch at Owhyhee, and get 
permission from Tameameah, before they can go 
into the harbour of Woahoo. He sends a confi- 
dential man on board to look after the vessel, 
and keep the natives from stealing; and, previous 
to entering the harbour of Honorora (Honolulu), 
they must pay eighty dollars harbour duty, and 
twelve dollars to John Har bottle, the pilot. This 
duty has only lately been laid on, on account of 
the King's brig Taa^nano, having to pay for her 
anchorage at Macao, when sent there with a cargo 
of sandal wood, in 1816. Tameameah justly 
observes, that if his ships have to pay on entering 
a foreign port, it is but reasonable that foreign 
ships should pay on entering his ports. There 



ATTRACTIVE WAIKIKI. 97 

are three close harbours on the south side of 
Woahoo, between Diamond hill and Barber's 
Point. On rounding Diamond hill the villag"e of 
Wyteetee (Waikiki) appears through large groves 
of cocoanut and bread-fruit trees ; it has a most 
beautiful appearance, the land all round in the 
highest state of cultivation, and the hills covered 
with wood; a beautiful plain extending as far as 
the eye can reach. A reef of coral runs along 
the whole course of this shore, within a quarter 
of a mile of the beach, on which the sea breaks 
high ; inside this reef there is a passage for canoes . 
Ships frequently anchor in the bay, in from six- 
teen to twenty fathoms, over a sand and coral 
bottom. Several of the king's old vessels are 
hauled upon shore and sheds built over them. 
His Majesty formerly resided at this village, but of 
late years has preferred his native place, Owhy- 
hee. About four miles to the westward of Wy- 
teetee is the village and harbour of Honorora; it 
is the largest on the island, as the natives collect 
from all other parts to be near the shipping. The 
harbour is known by a deep and remarkable 
valley over the village, through which the N. E. 
trade wind blows very strong. The island is not 
more than five leagues across at this part. The 
best time to get into the harbour is early in the 
morning, before the wind sets violently in a con- 
trary direction ; the chief generally sends a num- 
ber of large double canoes to tow the ship in, as 
the entrance of the harbour is not more than a 
quarter of a mile wide. Small vessels, when 
about to enter, run close to the east side of the 



98 HONOLULU FORT DESCRIBED. 

reef, where hundreds of the natives are collected, 
and, by throwing- a rope to them, the ship is 
pulled up to the anchorage. — Ships can moor 
close to the shore, so as to have a stage from 
thence, and be as safe as if they were in the 
London Docks. A fine round battery on the S. 
E. flat, or point, mounting about sixty guns, pro- 
tects the village and harbour. The fort occupies 
about eight acres of ground; the facing of the 
wall is stone, about eighteen feet high, and about 
the same breadth on the top, gradually sloping 
to make a base of about thirty feet. It is con- 
structed of hard clay and dry grass and sand 
well cemented together; on the top of this wall 
are embrasures built of the same materials, with- 
out stone; the guns are mounted all round, and 
are from four to eighteen pounders, the heaviest 
g-uns facing the sea. The magazine, is under 
ground and well secured; and in the middle of 
the fort stands a flag'-staff , on which the island 
colours are displayed, consisting of a union jack, 
with a red and blue stripe for each island. Round 
the flag-staff are the chiefs houses, and barracks 
for the soldiers. The strictest discipline is observ- 
ed; the guard relieved very regularly in the 
night, and th'e word '^All is well," sung out in 
English every ten minutes ! The Americans 
supply them with powder and stores, for which 
they get sandal wood, rope, hogs, vegetables, etc. 
The village consists of about 300 houses regularly 
built, those of the chiefs being larger and fenced 
in. Each family must have three houses, one to 
sleep in, one for the men to eat in, and one for 



HONOLULU AND ADJACENT HARBORS. 99 

the women, — the sexes not being* allowed to eat 
together. Cocoanut, bread-fruit, and castor-oil- 
nut* trees, form delicious shades, between the 
village and a range of mountains which runs 
along the island in aN. W. and S. E. direction. 
The ground is laid out in beautiful square patches, 
where the tarrow grows, round which they plant 
sugar canes and Indian corn. They have also a 
number of fine fish ponds, in which they keep 
mullet and a fish they call ava. On the N. W. 
side of the harbour is a fresh water river, where 
a ship's long boat can go up about two miles and 
fill the water casks in the boat. About three 
miles to westward of Honorora is a second 
harbour, easier of access and superior to the 
other in every respect, except the want of a water- 
ing place. There are but few farmers' and fish- 
ermen's houses hereabouts, and for this reason, 
it is not frequented; in fact few ships know any 
thing of it. About six miles to the westward of 
this harbour, is Wy Momi, or Pearl Water. 
This inlet extends about five leagues up the coun- 
try in a northerly direction; it is about four miles 
across in the widest part, and at the entrance 
about half a mile. There is not more than fifteen 
feet of water on the bar or reef at high water, 
and inside from six to eighteen fathoms mud and 
sand. There is an island about two miles in cir- 
cumference in the middle of this inlet, belonging 
to Mr. Manning (Don Marin), a Spaniard, who 
has been here for many years. It is covered with 
goats, rabbits, and hogs, belonging to him. At 
* The writer here has reference to the kukuitree. 



lOO PEARL OYSTER INDUSTRY. 

the head of the inlet is a run of very fine fresh 
water, and provisions are here cheap and plentiful. 
There are many divers employed here, diving- for 
the pearl oysters, which are found in great plenty. 
We saved them much trouble and labor by pre- 
senting the King with an oyster dredge we had 
on board, with which Tameameah was highly 
delighted. The reef, or flat, extends from this 
inlet to Barber's point which is about eight miles 
to the westward, and from thence several miles to 
seain aS. W. direction. Round Barber's Point 
to the north is the bay and village of Y-eni (Wai- 
anae); and a little further to the N. W. stands the 
village of Y-rooa (Waialua) ; on the west end of 
the island is the village and bay of Wymea. There 
are no harbours on the N. E. side of the island, 
and only two large villages. As I before observed, 
the women are not allowed to enter the men's 
eating-houses, or even to appear on the inside of 
the fence, on pain of death. Neither men nor 
women are allowed to eat in the sleeping-houses; 
the women are prohibited from eating pork, 
cocoanuts, bananas, plantains, and many other 
things, which are used as offering to the g"ods, and 
it is considered a profanation if a woman should 
touch anything so oifered. They are not even 
allowed to touch anything that goes inside of the 
men's eating house; they have their own vessels 
to eat and drink out of; and they must have a 
separate fire, at which to cook their victuals; the 
men's fire being called yahee taboo (ahi kapu), 
or prohibited fire, from which they cannot even 
light their pipes, though both young and old are 



FREQUENT KAPU PERIODS. lOI 

very fond of smoking tobacco. There are several 
morais, or churches in the village, and at new 
moon the priests, chiefs and hikanees (aikane) 
enter them with offerings of hogs, plantains, and 
cocoanuts, which they set before the wooden 
images. Theplace is fenced in, and have pieces 
of white flags flying on the fences. They remain 
in the morai three nights and two days at new 
moon, beginning at sun-set and ending at sun-rise, 
feasting on roast hogs, and praying all the time. 
On the first quarter, they remain inside tv^^o nights 
and one day; full moon and last quarter, the same 
time. While the chiefs and priests are in the 
morai, the women are prohibited from going on 
the salt water, either in canoes or boats, or even 
from touching it; neither are they permitted to 
come within forty 3^ards of the morai. The com- 
mon people know nothing more about their reli- 
gion than a stranger who never saw the islands. 
They pay the greatest respect to their chiefs and 
priests, and are kept in superstitious ignorance. 
Their muckahitee, or annual festival, commences 
in November; it begins by three of the most 
expert warriors throwing each a spear at Tamea- 
meah, who is obliged to stand without anything 
in his hand to fend them off, the first spear he 
catches, and with it makes the other spears fly 
several yards above his head. He then breaks a 
cocoanut; the sea is tabooed, and none of the 
natives are allowed to go near it. The King 
enters the church where he remains for some 
days, and the people decorate their houses with 
green branches and new mats. They dress in 



I02 MAKAHIKI FESTIVITIES. 

their best garments, and the head god is taken 
from the principal morai, and sent round the 
island carried by the priests. Any persons com- 
ing between the god and the sea are immediately 
stripped of their garments, and the same is done 
if they do not strip as the god is passing, and lie 
flat on their faces. This is the season for dancing, 
boxing, feasting, and all kinds of amusement. 
When the god arrives from the place whence he 
first started, the Taboo is taken off. They are 
generally about thirty days going round, calling 
at all the villages and plantations, to remind the 
people that it is time to bring in their taxes, which 
they do twice a year. This feast ended while I 
was here on the 24th of December. I have fre- 
quently questioned the chiefs about their religion, 
and their general answer was, that they go to 
the morals more to feast than pray, which I 
believe to be really the case. Mr. Cox, or Tey- 
motoo (Keeaumoku), that I have before men- 
tioned, sets the wooden gods and priests at defi- 
ance; he says, that they are all liars, and that the 
white men's God is the true and only God. 
The Sandwich Islanders have entirely abolished 
human sacrifices; all the time I have been about 
these islands, I have not known a single instance 
of sacrificing a human being. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Account of the Customs in the Sandwich Islands 
continued. 

THE natives of the Sandwich Islands are very 
superstitious; they believe that the spirits 
of the departed are permitted to revisit this 
world; and also, that the burning mountain on 
Owhyhee is hell, and that all wicked people will 
go there after this life; on the contrary, that 
those people who are good in this world are 
made spirits, and permitted to rove about at 
pleasure. Tameameah is high priest as well as 
king. When he comes on board a ship he is 
attended by several chiefs and hikanees, or coun- 
sellors, one of w^hom carries his spit-box; this is 
considered a very great honour! He is also 
followed by a sword-bearer, and a file of men 
with muskets, and a number of attendants with 
bunches of feathers to keep the flies off , and fans 
to cool him. His four wives generally accom- 
pany him on board. The King never spits any 
where but in the box, the contents of which, 
together with grosser evacuations, are taken to 
sea with his cast-off garments, and committed to 
the deep; it being his firm belief, that if any 



I04 SUPERSTITION PREVALENT. 

person g"ot a part of either, they would have the 
power to pray him to death. While I remained 
here I saw many instances of this strange prac- 
tice. The common people think that it is in the 
power of the chief priests to pray them to death 
at pleasure. When on shore I had a small shav- 
ing pot and a carving knife stolen ; I went to a 
priest, made him a present of a file, and told him 
what I had lost, upon which he came to the 
house, and sent a cry er round the village, pro- 
claiming, that if the articles stolen were not pro- 
duced before night, all the parties concerned 
in the theft should be prayed to death. Next 
morning we found the knife and pot outside of 
the eating-house door; and I never again lost any 
thing while I remained on the island. This plan 
of terrifying these purloiners is an excellent one 
to prevent theft, and in fact to govern them, as 
superstition prevails so strongly among them, as 
to be the only basis on which to build certain 
laws. The chiefs make use of a root, called ava^ 
which is preparing by chewing it well and spitting 
it into a calabash; and, when they have a suffi- 
cient quantity collected, they strainit through the 
fibres of the cocoa-nut. It is taken daily in small 
quantities for about a month, and has the effect 
of intoxicating. When a man first commences 
taking it, he begins to break out in scales about 
the head, and it makes the eyes very sore and 
red, then the neck and breasts, working down- 
wards, till it approaches the feet, when the dose 
is reduced. At this time the body is covered all 
over with a white scruffy or scale, resembling the 



EMPLOYMENT OF THE PEOPLE. I05 

dry scurvy. These scales drop off in the order 
of their formation, from the head, face, neck, and 
body, and finally leave a beautiful, smooth, clear 
skin, and the frame clear of all disease: — The 
process is also held to be a certain cure for 
venereal infection. I have known many white 
men go through a course of this powerful medi- 
cine. Women are not allowed to use it ; and thus, 
unhappily, the dreadful disease, first brought to 
these islands by Captain Cook's crew, remains to 
curse the inhabitants. 

The principal employment of the men is tilling 
the ground, making canoes, spears, etc. The 
chiefs keep as many followers about them as they 
can feed and clothe, and when provisions fail 
with one master, these seek another who is better 
able to support them. Some are so much attached 
to their chiefs, that they go off in ships to the 
N. W. coast of America, and often to China, and, 
when they return, give all they have earned to 
their chief, for which he gives them a farm, and 
they become great men. The old women are 
employed in making cloth, which is done in the 
following manner : — they collect a quantity of the 
bark of the young mulberry-trees, (which are 
cultivated for that purpose;) the}^ lay it in soak 
for several days, and then beat it upon a block, 
which is grooved, or fluted; the stick with which 
they beat it is also grooved. They beat some as 
fine as paper, and in this manner they can produce 
any size, some coarse, and some fine; some they 
make to stand the water; those are painted in oil 
colours. The young women rove about without 



I06 PROPENSITY TO GAMBLING. 

restraint till they attain the age of twenty. They 
then become more steady and have children. 
The boys are always practising- throwing- the 
spear, swimming, diving, and playing in the surf; 
flying kites is a favourite amusement; while on 
shore here I made several. The natives are very 
great gamblers; their original game is draughts, 
but instead of having twelve men each, they have 
about forty; the board is painted in squares, with 
black and white stones for men, and the game is 
decided by one party losing all his pieces. They 
play another game, by hiding a stone under three 
pieces of cloth. Six people play at this game, 
each party having his stone and cloths, and a 
small wand with which they strike the cloth under 
which they think the stone is deposited. If they do 
not guess right the first, time the stone is shifted, 
and so on alternately. I have seen the chiefs sit 
for a whole day before the}^ decided one game. 
They are fond of cards, and play whist, all-fours, 
and nosey, extremely well, They often gamble 
away houses, lands, canoes, and even the clothes 
off their backs. They are prone to the use of 
spirituous liquors, and think nothing of taking a 
tumbler of strong Jamaica rum at a draught. The 
chief women are, if possible, the greatest drunk- 
ards. They distill an excellent spirit from the tee 
root, which grows wild about the mountains, and 
resembles the beet root of this country. It is, 
however, larger and much sweeter, of a brownish 
appearance, and in perfection all the year round. 
The natives collect a quantity of this root, and 
bake it well under ground; when sufficiently 



DISTILLING INTRODUCED, 107 

baked, they pound it up in an old canoe kept for 
that purpose, mixing water with it, and leaving- it 
to ferment for several days. Their stills are 
formed out of iron pots, which they procure 
from ships that call here. — These they can enlarge 
to any size, by fixing calabashes, or gourds, with 
the bottom cut off and made to fit close on the pot, 
cemented well with a sort of clay, called -paroro 
(palolo). A copper cone is also affixed, with 
which an old gun-barrel is connected, and goes 
through a calabash of cold water, which cools 
the spirit. The stills are comm.only placed by a 
stream of water, and they continue to take the 
warm water out of the cooler and put in cold; by 
which simple process a spirit is produced, not 
unlike whiskey, only not so strong, and much 
more pleasant. Itis called by the natives Y-wer'a 
(waiwela), which signifies warm-water, or luma, 
trying to imitate the word rum. h. man, by the 
name of Wm. Stephenson, was the first who 
introduced distilling; he was a convict who had 
escaped from New South Wales, and lived on 
the islands for many years. He has left a large 
family behind him. John Young claims the right 
of first discovering this mode of distilling; but, in 
my opinion, neither of them deserves great credit 
for the introduction. 

Mr. Manning (Don Marin), a Spaniard, who left 
Nootka Sound, on the N. W. coast of America, at 
the time the Spaniards formed an establishment 
at that place, has cultivated the grape and peach 
here. From the former, he makes very good 
wine, and, from the latter, good peach brandy, 



I08 KALO CULTIVATION. 

In company with this man, I went round the 
island, and found all the plains and valleys in the 
highest state of cultivation. Tarrow, which is 
the principal vegetable, grows in abundance; 
there are two sorts ; the first and best is planted 
in large square patches, banked up about six 
feet, and beat down ver}/ hard at the bottom and 
sides, so as to hold water; the growers then put 
a quantity of loose mould, turn some water on, 
and plant the tarrow in straight lines, or circles; 
and the water forms a fish pond as well as tarrow 
patch. This root takes about nine months to 
come to perfection, They manage it so as to 
have the patch always full, for as they dig up that 
which is ripe, they plant the suckers in its room, 
and by the time they come to the end of a patch, 
that which was first planted is ripe, and by this 
means they are never without it. They turn the 
water from the mountains , bring it down in streams 
to the tarrow ground, and take it in rotation to 
turn it on to the different patches. Round the 
banks of these patches there are beautiful walks, 
planted with sugar canes and plaintain trees. 
The other sort of a tarrow is planted in dry 
ground, and takes a year to come to perfection. 
The sweet potato is planted in the same manner, 
and is hilled up with earth. They have plenty of 
what are commonly called Irish potatoes, yams, 
bread-fruit, melons, (both water and musk,) cab- 
bages, onions, celery, garlick; also very good 
wheat, rice, Indian corn, and every description 
of fruit that grows in the West Indies; turnips, 
cucumbers, radishes, salad, in fact all that is 



FAUNA, ETC. OF HAWAII. IO9 

produced in England will grow there. On Owhy- 
hee they have strawberries, raspberries, cranber- 
ries, and wild apples, and many other kinds of 
fruit; they have excellent oranges, lemons, limes, 
citrons, pine-apples, etc., etc. ; they also cultivate 
the tobacco plant, of which the natives use an 
immense quantity, as men, women and children 
smoke a great deal. The cotton and coffee grows 
here very well. _ They have plenty of cattle, 
sheep, goats, hogs, ducks, geese, fowls, etc., 
and a few horses. The cattle go about wild, and 
are not allowed to be shot without permission from 
the King Tameameah. Mr. Manning the Span- 
iard, keeps a large herd of tame cattle, and makes 
excellent butter and cheese; he has several 
Indians to take care of them, and they are penned 
up regularly. Some of the wild cattle often come 
in with this herd, and are penned up, but allowed 
to go out in the morning. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Account of the Sandwich Islanders continued. — Fe- 
male dress ; that of the men and chiefs — Curious 
fishing. — Personal Adventure. — Mode of catching 
flying fish, etc. — Weather. — Ancient fort and novel 
fortifications. — Superstitious story, and its effects. 
— Their food, cooking, etc. 

THE women of the Sandwich Islands are well 
made and handsome ; their dress consists 
of ten sheets of cloth of the country, three 
feet broad and three yards long, wrapped round 
their waists and descending* to the middle of the 
leg. The outside sheet is prettily painted, and 
resembles a piece of printed calico: this part of 
the dress is called pa'ou (pa'u). Their upper gar- 
ments are composed of sheets, about three yards 
square; some are painted, some are dyed black, 
and others white; these they can reduce at pleas- 
ure. A tobacco-pipe is hung, with a small look- 
ing-glass, round their necks, and they do not con- 
sider themselves dressed without them. They 
also wear an ivory hook, called palava (palaoa), 
fastened round the neck with the plaited hair of 
their friends. Some of the women wear their 
hair long and tied, others cut it close off, turn it 



A LARGE FISHING PARTY. lit 

up in front, and lime it till quite white ; it then 
looks like the border of a cap. They are very- 
fond of white shirts and black silk handkerchiefs, 
and look extremely well in them. The men 
wear a piece of cloth three yards long and a 
foot wide; this is passed between the legs and 
round the loins, and is of the stoutest cloth they 
make. They also wear a cloth over the shoul- 
ders the same as the women. The chiefs, on 
particular occasions, wear a handsome cloak 
and helmet of feathers, in which dress their ap- 
pearance is very imposing. They have very fine 
mats to put on in wet weather, finely painted and 
fringed. While I was here I was invited by one 
of the chiefs to join a fishing party on the fiats to 
the westward of the harbour of Honorora. There 
were several fires lit the night previous, and, in 
the morning, the nets were run out and set on the 
flat. The people collected from all parts of the 
island: they all strip and start from two points, 
making a circuit of several miles; both parties 
meet on the outer edge of the flats, and, forming^ 
a circle, they gradually close in, keeping their 
feet close together to prevent the escape of the 
fish, the water not being more than knee deep. 
Each person is provided with a scoop net and a 
bag net over his shoulder; they are permitted to 
scoop up what they can and fill their bag; still 
closing in, when the nets are drawn all round 
after them. By this method they catch 50 or 60 
canoe-loads'. There were not fewer than 6000 
people collected at this party, which ended, as 
all such do, in a fight about the division of the 



112 CAPSIZED IN THE SURF. 

fish. On my return from this expedition I was 
nearly lost: I embarked in a canoe with Toowy- 
heene (Kuwahine), wife to Keymatoo (Keeau- 
moku), the king's prime minister, who steered 
the canoe, and when we came to the reef of the 
harbor wanted to try her skill in dashing through 
the surf, which ran very high. We got through 
several breakers, but she at length let the canoe 
broach too, by which we were upset and all 
thrown out. The chief's wife and four of the 
natives collected round me, while the remainder 
were employed in getting the canoe from the 
surf and baling her out. I was in a most peril- 
ous situation for about half an hour, being obliged 
to dive through every surf, attended by the natives 
and the chief's wife, with whose aid I managed to 
take my clothes off, which made me swim much 
lighter. We ultimately got safe into the harbour, 
but I never could be tempted to run over the 
breakers again. 

Having described an aquatic fishing bout, I 
will now describe the mode of catching flying 
fish: — The nets in which they are taken are 
made of twine, which is spun from a sort of hemp, 
called by the natives oorana (olona), and very 
strong. A number of nets are laced together, so 
as to make one of two or three hundred yards in 
length ; they are about six foot broad, with a large 
and strong bag in the centre, and these they run 
out in a straight line, the upper part of which is 
boated by cork wood, and the lower sunk with 
stones. They take large branches of trees and 
lay along the head line, which prevent the fish 



DEEP SEA FISHING. H3 

from flying over; a large double canoe is placed 
at each end of the net, gradually drawing it to a 
circle, while a number of other canoes are 
employed in the open space, beating the water 
and diving to frighten the fish toward the net. 
When the double canoes at the ends of the net 
meet, they take the net in, gradually contracting 
the circle till the fish are forced into the bag. 
Sometimes, at a haul of this kind, thej^ will catch 
six or eight canoes full, though not without risk, 
for fishermen often get black eyes and bruised 
faces from the fish flying about, which are the 
largest I have ever seen. Albicores, dolphins, 
and bonitos, are caught in the following manner: 
A canoe that pulls seven paddles goes to sea with 
two good fishermen, (besides the paddlers), each 
with a stout bamboo, about 20 feet long, a strong 
line made from the oorana, and about the size of 
a log-line, is afiixed; the line is about three-quar- 
ters of the length of the pole, and has a pearl 
hook made fast to it. The canoe is then paddled 
very swiftly with the hooks towing on the surface 
of the water, one at each side, the fishermen hold- 
ing the rod steady against their thigh, and the 
lower end resting in the bottom of the canoe ; they 
steady the pole with one hand, and, with the 
other keep throwing water on the hook, and when 
their prey gets hooked, by lifting the pole upright 
the fish swings in, and is caught under the left 
arm and secured. In this manner they will take 
40 or 50 in the course of a few hours. They have 
a sort of heath here which the natives pound up, 
and with it dive among the rocks, and, in a few 



114 THE RAINY SEASON. 

minutes, all the fish within a certain distance, 
sicken and come to the surface of the water, and 
are easily taken. The natives immediately gut 
them. Whether the fish eat this heath or not I 
could never learn, but certainly it is a most power- 
ful poison. 

On moon light nights, the natives collect on the 
plain to the number of many hundreds, men, 
women, and children; here they sit in a ring, 
where they dance, sing, and play all manner of 
games, and seldom break up before midnight. 
On these islands they have much rain in the 
months of November, December, January, and 
February, and sometimes it blows heavy gales, 
equal to the West India hurricanes, from the S.W. 
These commonly prevail in January, and, during 
the remainder of the year, the trade-wind blows 
steady from N. to N. E. sometimes very strong. 
The hard gales from the S. W. the natives call 
momotoo (mumuku) ; previous to the gale, the sea 
sets in heavily from the S. W. with dark gloomy 
weather, the mountains are covered with dense 
clouds, and the tempest is preceded by a dead 
calm for one or two days, during which time the 
canoes are not allowed to go on the water. The 
gale very often blows down the houses, tears 
tree up by the roots, and does much mischief by 
overflowing the fish-ponds at the water side, by 
which means the fish escape. At Woahoo the 
tide flows 30 minutes past four, full and change, 
rising about seven feet. 

In my tour with Mr. Manning (Manini), we 
visited the ruin of a large stone house, or fort, 



A ROYAL VISITOR, IN SPIRIT. II5 

which had formerly belonged to a great chief; 
it had a double fence of human bones round it; 
these were the bones of his enemies killed in the 
war before the islands were visited by Europeans. 
The bones of this great chief are said to be still 
in the house; the natives are afraid to go near it, 
preferring to go a round of five or six miles to 
passing it. Mr. Manning had an island in Pearl 
River, as before stated, which we also visited. 
It is about two miles in circumference, having a 
large cave in the centre . It is covered with goats , 
hogs, and rabbits. Only one family resides there, 
consisting of a man, his wife, and three children, 
with two servants, all belonging to Mr. Manning. 
We remained on it two days. One evening after 
supper the man gave us an account of a singular 
affair, which occurred to him when he first got 
charge of the island. He was one night awoke 
by some person calling him by name, and telling 
him to attend to what he said; he looked up, and 
was much terrified on beholding the pale form of 
the late King Pereoranee (Paleioholani) before 
him, who told him as he valued his life so must 
he perform what he enjoined: which was, to go 
to the cave, where he would find his bones with 
the bones of several great chiefs ; he was to take 
them from thence and convey them to a place of 
safety, out of the reach of a chief Tereacoo, (Ka- 
leioku) who would come the next day with a party 
to search the island for the bones of the king and 
chiefs, to make points for their arrows to shoot 
rats with, (they think there is a charm in human 
bones, and never any other sort). 



Il6 SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEF. 

The next day according- to the prediction, the 
chief came and searched the island; the man 
told him that as the island and all that was on it 
belonged to a white man of whom Tameameah 
was very fond, he ought not to come there to 
search for bones, when there was so many on the 
main island. The chief took no notice, but 
searched and took several bundles of bones with 
him, though not those of the king and chiefs. 
Tereacoo departed, and on the ensuing night the 
deceased king and many chiefs appeared to the 
man, and thanked him for what he had done, as- 
suring him that the white man would protect him, 
and that he should one day become a great man. 
Mr. Manning was as superstitious as the natives, 
and declared he had heard many instances of a 
similar nature. Shortly after we went to the 
sleeping-house where the women were. Mr. 
Manning went out to walk about ; in a few minutes 
he returned in a terrible fright and perspiration. 
Seeing him look so wild, I asked him what was 
the matter; when he got more composed, he told 
me, very seriously, that as he was walking by the 
prickly pear-trees, saying his prayers and count- 
ing his beads, he saw the Chief Tereacoo, who had 
died about a month since, walking before him, 
attended by a number of people dressed in the 
white cloth of the country. I laughed heartily at 
this relation, and tried to persuade him it was all 
imagination; but he still persisted in having seen 
the spirits. The next morning I went round the 
island, which seems as though it had been kept 
for a burial place, for I saw hundreds of bundles 



TOUR WITH DON MARIN. II7 

of human bones, wrapped carefully up in cloth, 
and laid in the crevices of the rocks. We then 
left this spot, and Mr. Manning had the king's 
bones actually conveyed privately to his own 
house, where he still keeps them. In our tour we 
were extremely well treated by the natives, each 
striving who should be most attentive in bringing 
us roasted pigs, dogs, and powee (poi). They 
roast their dogs and pigs in a hole in the ground 
with heated stones, and rolled in leaves of the 
plaintain-tree ; when cooked in this manner, their 
food, whether meat or fish, is delicious. They 
prepare the powee by baking the tarrow under 
ground in the same way, and when thoroughly 
baked they beat it up on a large flat stone, mixing 
water with it till they bring it to the consistency 
of starch; it is then put into calabashes and will 
keep for one or two months. This with raw fish 
is their favorite food, which they eat with their 
fingers, dipping them into the calabash and suck- 
ing the powee off. They have also a dish with 
a raw fish and some salt and water ; they dip the 
fish into the salt and water, and, sucking it, pass 
it to the person next to them, and so on, till it goes 
round the company, consisting sometimes of a 
dozen persons. They are very fond of sea weed, 
and eat it with salt; shrimps, crabs, and all small 
fish they eat raw ; dogs are considered a great 
dehcacy, and are much dearer than pigs ; a num- 
ber of Europeans prefer dog to pig, declaring, 
that it is by far the most delicate. The dogs they 
eat are fed entirely on roots, and never allowed 
to touch meat, Everyjplantation we stopped at 



Il8 WELL RECEIVED THROUGHOUT. 

we had all that the place afforded ; the best houses 
were prepared for our reception, where clean 
mats and tapas, or cloth of the country, were laid 
for us to sleep on, which our servants took with 
them, being- their perquisite. About the end of 
June we got back to the village of Honorora. 



CHAPTER XV. 

Proceedings of a Patriot Ship ; fate of the Mutineers 
of the Rosa ; execution of Mr, Griffiths, — The 
Author takes the Command of the Brig, — They 
destroy Monterey, — Other Proceedings in these 
Seas briefly rioticed, — The Author returns home, 

IN September the ship Levant,, Captain Carey, 
of Boston, arrived at Honorora from the 
Columbia River, and informed us, that the 
EstabHshment belonging to the Northwest Com- 
pany was to be given up to the Americans. We 
put the remainder of our wood on board this ship, 
and by the end of September were nearly ready 
to leave the islands, when a large ship called the 
Argentina touched at Owhyhee. She mounted 
forty-four guns, belonging to the Independents of 
South America, and was commanded by Don 
Hypolito Bouchard, a Frenchman, They had 
taken many prizes, but none of any value; the 
crew was very sickly, scarcely enough out of 260 
to work the ship. Captain Bouchard demanded 
the ship Santa Rosa and crew from Tameameah, 
which was immediately complied with. He for- 
gave the men on a promise that they would behave 
better in future, and brought both ships down to 
Woahoo to refit. On their arrival, Captain Bou- 
chard came to our houses, where he spent most 



I20 EXECUTION OF MR. GRIFFITHS. 

of his time, often inviting us on board. He took a 
particular fancy to me, and asked me to command 
the Santa Rosa\ to which I agreed, and in Octo- 
ber, 1818, entered on my ofiice. We sailed for 
Atooi, to take on board some of the Santa Rosa^s 
mutineers, who had been left there by the brig, 
and got four of them, but could not find Mr. Grif- 
fiths. The Commodore being determined to shoot 
him, told Tamooree (Kaumualii), that if the man 
was not produced he would destroy the fort and 
set fire to the village. Three days after Griffiths 
was sent in a prisoner, tried by a court martial, 
and sentenced to be shot, having but two hours to 
make his peace with the Almighty. He was 
brought down to the beach (where the Patriot 
colours were displayed) blindfolded, and shot by 
four marines, belonging to the Argentina, Many 
hundred of the natives were collected to witness 
the execution. The corpse was buried on the 
beach at high-water-mark; the ships then made 
sail for Woahoo, for some more of the men who 
had run away, and found that they had escaped 
to Mowee ; the Commodore being determined not 
to leave a single mutineer on the islands, proceed- 
ed thither in pursuit of them, and on arriving 
learnt that they had gone to the mountains. Don 
Hypolito then hired a number of natives to pursue 
the fugitives, and they were brought on board in 
three days. Thej^ were tried by a court martial, 
one was sentenced to be shot, the others to get 
twelve dozen lashes; they were brought on deck, 
and the former was reprieved, but the other re- 
ceived the punishment, which tore his back in a 



MOTLEY PRIVATEER CREWS. 121 

shocking manner. The ships then made sail for 
Woahoo, where we took on board a supply of 
hogs and vegetables and a number of natives; 
and on the 20th of October we took our final leave 
of those friendly natives, bound for the coast of 
California, to cruise against the Spaniards. The 
ship Santa Rosa was American built, about 300 
tons burthen; mounting eighteen guns, twelve 
and eighteen pounders; with a compliment of 100 
men, thirty of whom were Sandwich Islanders, 
the remainder where composed of Americans, 
Spaniards, Portuguese, Creoles, Negroes, Mani- 
la men, Malays, and a few Englishmen. The 
Argentina had 260 men, fifty of whom were Isl- 
anders, the remainder a mixed crew, nearly simi- 
lar to that of the Santa Rosa. On our passage 
towards California we were emploj^ed exercising 
the great guns, and putting the ship in good con- 
dition for fighting, frequently reading the articles 
of war which are very strict, and punish with 
death almost every act of insubordination. 

After getting a supply of eggs, oil, etc. from 
the Russians, we made sail towards, the bay of 
Monterey. The Commodore ordered me into 
the bay, and to anchor in a good position for 
covering the landing, while he would keep his 
ship under weigh, and send his boats in to assist 
me. Being well acquainted with the bay I ran 
in and came too at midnight, under the fort; the 
Spaniard hailed me frequently to send a boat on 
shore, which I declined. Before morning they 
had the battery manned, and seemed quite busy. 
I got a spring on the cable, and at daylight opened 



122 ATTACK ON MONTEREY. 

a fire on the fort, which was briskly returned 
from two batteries. Finding it useless to fire at 
the batteries, the one being- so much above us that 
our shot had no visible effect, the Commodore 
came in with his boats, and we landed on Point 
Pinos, about three miles to the westward of the 
fort; and before the Spaniards had time to bring 
their field-pieces to attack us, we were on our 
march against it. We halted at the foot of the 
hill where it stood for a few minutes, beat a charge 
and rushed up, the Sandwich Islanders in front 
with pikes. The Spaniards mounted their horses 
and fled; a Sandwich Islander was the first to 
haul down their colours. We then turned the 
guns on the town, where they made a stand, and 
after firing a few rounds, the Commodore sent 
me with a party to assault the place, while he kept 
possession of the fort. As we approached the 
town, the Spaniards again fled, after discharg- 
ing their field-pieces, and we entered without op- 
position. It was well stocked with provisions and 
goods of every description, which we commenced 
sending on board the Argentina, The Sandwich 
Islanders, who were quite naked when they land- 
ed, were soon dressed in the Spanish fashion, 
and all the sailors w^ere employed in searching 
the houses for money, and breaking and ruining 
every thing. We took several Creole prisoners, 
destroyed all the guns in the fort, etc. We had 
three of our men killed and three taken ; next day 
a party of horsemen came in sight, to whom the 
Commodore sent a flag of truce, requiring the 
governor to give up our people and save the town. 



PLUNDERING ALONG THE COAST. 123 

Three days were granted to consider this propo- 
sal, and on the third day, not receiving" an answer, 
he ordered the town to be fired, after which we 
took plenty of live stock on board, wood, water, 
etc., and on the ist day of December got under 
weigh from Monterey, and stood along the coast 
to the southward. 

On the 4th we made a village, called the Ranch 
(near Point Conception) where we intended to 
call for provisions, got the boats all ready, landed 
a party without opposition, and took the town, all 
the inhabitants flying on our approach. The men 
remained all night, and next morning the place 
was plundered . About noon a lieutenant and two 
seamen having strayed a short distance from the 
town, a party of horsemen rushed on them, 
threw the la's-aws (lasso's) over their heads and 
dragged them up a neighboring hill, before we 
could render them any assistance. This so en- 
raged Captain Bouchard, that he ordered the 
village to be fired instantly, and embarked all the 
men. After dark we again landed a party well 
armed to try and surprise the Spaniards and make 
some prisoners, but they next morning embarked 
without success. We then weighed and made 
sail along shore to the southward, two miles from 
shore, a great number of Spanish troops riding 
along the beach at whom we fired several shot. 
In the evening of the 8th of December, we were 
off the town and mission of St. Barbara, in lati- 
tude 34^^ 36' N. and longitude 119° W. ; it falling 
calm we hoisted the boats out to tow the ships in- 
to the bay, where we anchored, the town bearing 



124 A DEFIANT REPLY AVENGED. 

N. by W. one mile, seemingly deserted. We 
fired a gun and hoisted the colours with a flag of 
truce, and sent a boat on shore to say if they 
would give up our men we would spare the town ; 
to which the governor agreed, and accordingly 
on the loth we got our companions on board, 
weighed the anchor and made sail to the south- 
ward. We again ran into a snug bay, in latitude 
33° 33' N., where we anchored under the flag of 
truce. The bay is well sheltered, with a most 
beautiful town and mission, about two leagues 
from the beach. The Commodore sent his boat 
on shore, to say if they would give us an imme- 
diate supply of provisions we would spare their 
town;^ to which they replied, that we might land 
if we pleased, and they would give us an imme- 
diate supply of powder and shot. The Commo- 
dore was very much incensed at this answer, and 
assembled all the officers, to know what was best 
to be done, as the town was too far from the 
beach to derive any benefit from it. It was, 
therefore, agreed to land, and give it up to be 
pillaged and sacked. 

Next morning, before daylight, the Commodore 
ordered me to land and bring him a sample of the 
powder and shot, which I accordingly did, with 
a party of 140 men, well armed, with two field- 
pieces. On our landing, a party of horsemen 
came down and fired a few shot at us, and ran 
towards the town. They made no stand, and we 
soon occupied the place. After breakfast the 
people commenced plundering; we found the 
town well stocked with every thing but money 



RETURN OF THE EXPEDITION. 125 

and destroyed much wine and spirits, and all the 
public property; set fire to the king's stores, 
barracks, and governor's house, and about two 
o'clock we marched back, though not in the or- 
der we went, many of the men being intoxicated, 
and some were so much so, that we had to lash 
them on the field-pieces and drag them to the 
beach, where, about six o'clock, we arrived with 
the loss of six men. Next morning we punished 
about twenty men for getting drunk. 

On the 23rd of December we saw the island of 
Ceres, and hauled up for the east end of the isl» 
and; in the afternoon we were boarded by some 
Russian hunters in bodarkees, assisted by about 
twenty of which we, at daylight, hoisted the boats 
out and towed to the anchorage. We came too 
on the S. E. side of the island, three quarters of 
a mile from the village : the Russians were land- 
ed here by an American brig for the purpose of 
hunting the sea otter, on this as well as on the 
other islands about this coast. Their village con- 
sisted of about twenty miserable huts, covered 
with the skins of the sea lion and elephant, which 
are very plentiful. English and American ships 
frequently call here to fill up their oil. 

We had a party on shore daily hunting the deer, 
which are the only animals on the island, and 
killing the sea lion and elephant for the sake of 
their hearts and tongues, which we found very 
good. While we lay here five of the former 
mutineeers took the first whale boat in the night 
and ran away. We sent the launch in pursuit of 
them, but it returned in three days, without having 



126 SEVERAL OF THE CREW POISONED. 

seen them. Captain Bouchard swore if he caught 
them he would immediately shoot them. 

January iSth, 1819, having completed our wood 
and water, and refitting the ships, we got under 
weigh, intending to cruise off St. Bias, for the 
Manila ships. 

January 22nd, we saw Cape St. Lucas, E. by S. 
about 30 miles, the sea all round was covered with 
turtles, which we took on board as we wanted 
them. On the 24th, captured and scuttled a mer- 
chant brig. 

We sent a part3^ on shore at the Tres Marias to 
wood and water. We found a root resembling 
the tarrow of the Sandwich Islands; the Island- 
ers cooked some of it in the island fashion, and 
immediately after the}^ had eaten of it their bodies 
and faces became swelled and bloated in a terri- 
ble manner, some died in a few days, and others 
lingered for ten days in the greatest agony. The 
Commodore lost twelve men in his manner. The 
Tres Marias are covered with wood, chiefly 
lignum-vitae, black and white ebony, hard cedar, 
and many other kinds. There are plenty of par- 
rots, monkeys, snakes, guanas, pigeons, doves, 
etc. , and abundance of fish . We continually kept 
a party on shore hunting and fishing; in digging 
for fresh water we found plenty of ore, which our 
prisoners said was silver; the water is very bad, 
and brackish. 

On the 9th, of July we made the harbour of 
Valparaiso. His Majesty's ships Andromache 
and Icarus were here, with all Lord Cochrane's 
squadron fitting out for Lima. On the 17th, the 



LEAVE THE SERVICE FOR HOME. 1 27 

Argentina arrived in very great distress for pro- 
visions and water; she had buried about forty 
men; the ships were laid up, and most of the 
crews entered on board the Chilian fleet. 

I now applied to Captain Bouchard for my pay 
and prize-money, and told him I was heartily sick 
of the service of the Independents, and that I 
intended to go to JEngland in the first vessel that 
sailed for that country, the port being- then em- 
bargoed on account of the expedition going 
against Peru ; he replied that he could not pay me, 
unless I continued in the service and took the 
ship to Buenos Ayres; which I declined doing, 
and left her in charge of Mr. Woodburn, the 
first Lieutenant. 

Lord Cochrane's squadron were wretchedly 
manned; they send parties of soldiers up the 
country and impress the countrymen and send 
them on board the fleet; half the complement of 
each ship is composed of Chileno's and blacks; 
their troops are chiefly black. 

We do not find sufficient interest in the sequel 
of these adventures to render it advisable to give 
the details, and shall only add, that the writer of 
this journal, Mr. Corney, arrived in London on 
the 15th, of February, 1820, after an absence of 
nearly seven years, full of vicissitudes. 



APPENDIX. 

Note: — In the year 1847, Mr. R. C. Wyllie, who was for many 
years, the Hawaiian Minister of Foreign Affairs, discovered a 
number of letters and other documents, belonging to the estate of 
the late Don Francisco de Paula y Marin, in a house in the old 
fort. 

Most of them were filed in the Government archives, and are 
still in existence, although unfortunately Don Marin's diary has 
been lost. Among them are the following letters from Capt. 
Bouchard of the frigate ''Argentina," addressed to Don Juan de 
Elliot y Castro and Don Marin, as well as his instructions from the 
Provisional government of Buenos Ayres. 



THE BOUCHARD LETTERS. 

(TRANSLATION.) 

I. The Sovereign Congress of the United Provinces 
of Rio de La Plata. 

Information having reached this Government of the 
scandalous conduct of the crew of the corvette called 
**Santa Rosa," Don Hipolito de Bouchard, sergeant 
major of the navy of this state, and commander of the 
war frigate **Argentina," has been duly authorized and 
invested with power to proceed over the same route 
hitherto cruised by said vessel, and wherever the said 
ship may be found with all belonging to it, to seize 
it or reclaim it from any government, as also any 
member of the crew. We request any government or 
state, in such case, to deliver it up to said commander; 
that all the effects of said vessel be delivered with the 



130 APPENDIX. 

armament, ammunition and stores belonging to it; to 
which we sign and seal with the coat of arms of this 
state, 27th, of April 1818. 

Dr. Francisco Sans, President. 

Juan Jose Paso. Vocal. 
Dr. Don Pedro Elias, Secretary, 
» (and seven others). 



II. I have just received at this date the excellent 
order of His Majesty in which he states the following: — 
That H. M. has been pleased to order that the pilot 
deliver to me every thing belonging to the corvette 
''Santa Rosa," and at the same time that he deliver to 
the bearer six barrels for vegetables, ^ "^ ''" the con- 
sumption said men "^ ''' "^ ^< "^ ^^ 

For the compliment in which I most heartily thank 
His Majesty, as I do you, for the unbounded kindness 
you have manifested in providing for the ships belong- 
ing to the United Provinces of Rio de La Plata. 

I communicate to you how we are situated here, in 
the same state as before your departure, (for I have 
been in your confidence), which would not permit our 
coming to Kavacacao (Kawaiakekua?) for you must be 
aware of the great loss to my expedition, and the great 
consumption of provisions and water, without the 
slightest remuneration, but withal sustaining a great 
loss. 

The individual to whom His Majesty has been 
pleased to assign the delivery of the sweet potatoes, not 
having received the barrels, which were all in use, was 
given a basket which measured the same quantity, in 
order that he might deliver what had been ordered, 
but has refused to receive it, and says that he will r«- 



~,i 



THE -BOUCHARD LETTERS/ I3I 

turn thus from Kayroa; all of which I communicate to 
you for your information, 

May God preserve you many years. 
^^Argentina," 30th Aug., 1818. 

HiPOLiTO Bouchard. 
Sr. Don de Eliot y Castro. 

Sec. of H. M. 



III. Because of the difficulties which may arise in re- 
gard to the vessels belonging to the United Provinces 
of Rio de La Plata, e. g. mntinies, escapes, etc, as 
happened formerly in the case of the corvette ''Santa 
Rosa," I authorize in the name of the nation of the 
United Provinces of Rio de La Plata, King Kameha- 
meha to proceed as follows with any ship taking refuge 
within his dominions: — to hold the vessel with all its 
effects and crew, to deprive them of ail means of 
communication, to take down the testimony of all the 
crew, examining its papers which should contain the 
number of the patents; taking note of the number of men 
comprising the crew, as also of its orders and its pri- 
vate instructions; for in these will be found whether the 
vessel has been duly commissioned: should it not 
possess these documents, and should it be armed for 
war, or have plunder on board, it will be suspicious, 
and must be held with all its effects and crew until due 
notice be given to the Government; observing to regard 
and care for said vessel until the resolution taken by 
the Government of Buenos Ayres near (por) the coasts 
of Chili (be received.) 

His Majesty Tameamea (Kamehameha) is requested 
to observe the utmost punctuality and order in these 
cases. This authority being given by Senor Don Hipo- 



132 APPENDIX. 

lito Bouchard, Commander of the frigate **Argentina, 
6th, of Sept., 1818. 

HipoLiTO Bouchard, 
Senor Don Francisco de Paula y Marin. 



IV. Dear Sin— 

I have had the misfortune not to find the brig- 
antine of which I was in search, and have found only 
four of the seamen, among them the chief of the 
mutiny from aboard the '*Santa Rosa;" who, for his 
crime has gone to give account to the Almighty. I 
have aboard a sailor who had come from Oahu with 
Capt. Cary. I request you on receipt of this letter, if 
the men who escaped have been found, to send them 
to me immediately, as also some provisions, as potatoes, 
taros, and pork. You will kindly make out the full 
account in order that it may be settled; for it seems to 
me that I have not paid for the three casks of sweet 
potatoes which I have received from you, and for 
which I will settle on my arrival. I send you the cask 
which you loaned me for measuring the brandy, and 
about which I had forgotten. 

Remember me to Captain Ebbitt and to Capt. Davis; 
have the kindness to give my best wishes to Governor 
Boki, and ask him to send me six pieces of timber for 
(canones?), the same as those of which I spoke to you 
before my departure; and should he deliver them, send 
the bill that I may settle it: all of which I shall esteem 
a favor from you as well as from the Governor; also 
send some hogs, if they can be obtained. 

May God keep you many and happy years. 
**Argentina," 8th October, 1818. 

HiPOLiTo Bouchard. 
Senor Don Francisco de Paula y Marin. 



THE BOUCHARD LETTERS. 133 

V. My dear Sir:— 

My present need compels me to trouble you 
for your attention to matters which no one can settle 
better than you; owing to your acquaintance with these 
places, and your proficiency in the language. 

My friend, it appears that the King and his Secre- 
tary have taken advantage of the kindness of Mr. 

an honorable man, in regard to the wood which he has 
given me in payment for 44 bales of fine goods and six 
bolts of silks. It appears that the American Captains 
do not wish to take the sandal wood which his Majesty 
has given me in payment for said goods, and I find^ 
myself compelled to appeal to the Governor, so that 
through your intercession be made clear the bargain 
for the sandal-wood, which the American Captains 
will not accept: he (Governor) may take the matter in 
hand and give you, from the lot belonging to the King, 
the quantity to replace that which was not genuine? 
this affair troubles me daily, and I cannot wait longer 
than day after tomorrow, and you may see the best 
way to settle it. 

You must be aware that two armed ships, contain- 
ing their crews of 290 men, are very expensive, and 
cost upwards of $150 daily; so if the King has deceived 
him (Mr. ) giving me fire-wood instead of sandal- 
wood, charging me $10.00 a picul, I shall in conse- 
quence charge him with all the expenses of my vessels 
during the time this business detains me, and hold the 
King responsible for them. 

I request you as a man who understands these 
matters, to interview the Governor, making clear to 
him the cause of my complaints, and have him imme- 
diately replace the sandal-wood which was not genuine, 
delivering it to the Captain of the Frfgate ''Sultana, 



X34 Appendix. 

Mr. Caleb Reynolds, which is all I have to request of 
the Governor at present. 

May God keep you many and happy years. 
"Argentina," Sept. 2nd, 18 i 6. 
HiPOLiTO Bouchard. 
There is another letter in the collection, from Capt, 
Bouchard to Don Marin, dated Dec. 20, 1819 at Val- 
paraiso, inquiring about a brig, the crew of which were 
supposed to have run away with it. 



THE BOUCHARD LETTERS. 

(ORIGINALS.) 

I. El Soberano Congreso De Las Provincias Unidas 
Del Rio De La Plata. 
Habiendo llegado a noticia d esta soberania el escan- 
daloso exceso de la tripulacion de la corveta nombrada 
Santa Rosa, se ha expedido poder al sarjento mayor 
de la marina de este Estado, y comandante de la fra- 
gata Argentina de guerra, Don Hipolito de Buchard: 
y para que corra por donde dicha corveta cruzaba: y 
para que con todo en cualesquiera destino que sea 
hallado este buque queda apresarlo 6 reclamarlo d 
cualquiera Gobierno, y en seguida cualesqniera indivi- 
duo de su tripulacion. Se suplica, a cualquiera gobier- 
no 6 estado, se digne, en tal caso, exederlo a dicho 
comandante. Se exedan todos los intereses de dicho 
buque, armamento, municion y armamento que corres' 
pondan. Para lo cual lo firmamos y sellamos con las 
armas de este Estado a 27 del mes de Abril del ano 
de mil ochocientos diez y ocho. 

Dr. Francisco Sans, Presidente. 

Juan Jose Paso, Vocal. 
Dr. Don Pedro Elias, Segretario. 
(and seven others). 



THE BOUCHARD LETTERS. 135 

II. Con esta fecha acabo de recibir la superior orden 
de su Magestad donde il me expone lo siguiente; que 
Su Magestad se ha dignado ordenar al piloto que se 
me entrege todo aquello que fuese perteneciente a la 
corveta Santa Rosa, y al mismo tiempo, que al porta- 
dor se le entrege seis barriles para los vegetales, con- 
sumo que dicho hombre * * ^ ■)<• 

Para su complimiento en lo que doy infinitas gracias 
4 Su Magestad y a Usted por consiguente por la 
immensa bondad que Usted usa para el auxilio de los 
buques de las Provincias Unidas del Rio de la Plata. 
Comunico a Umd. como estamos aqui en el mismo 
ser que antes de irse Usted pues yo he estado en la 
confianza de Usted, no dejaria de venir d esta Kawa- 
cacao (Kawaiakekua), pues no debe Usted ignorar el 
atraso de mi expedition, el gran consumo de viveres, y 
aguada sin la menor utilidad, si no con todo un gran 
atraso. 

El individuo que Su Magestad se ha dignado desti- 
nar para entregar las batatas, no habiendo podido 
absoluta.Tiente dar se le los barriles por tenerlos todos 
ocupados, se le did una canasta que podia hacer la 
misma cuantidad para que por el entregara lo que se 
habia ordenado, el que n^. ha querido recibir y me 
dice que se vuelve asi de Kayroa. 

Lo cual comunico a Usted para su inteligencia. 

Dios guarde d Usted muchos anos. ^*Argentina," 30 
de Agosto de 1313. Hipolito Bouchard. 

Seiior Don Juan de Eliot y Castro, 

Secretsrio de Su Magestad. 



III. Por los inconvenientes que pueden suceder, res. 
peto d los buques de las Provincias Unidas del Rio de 



136 APPENDIX. 

la Plata, e. g. fugas, levantamientos, al caso sucedido 
anteriormente con la Corveta Santa Rosa, doy facultad, 
en nombre de la Nacion de las Provincias Unidas del 
Rio de la Plata, al Rey Tameamea (Kamehameha), 
que cualesquiera buque que se refugiase bajo su 
dominio tome las providencias siguientes; de tener el 
buque con todo sus intereses y la gente, ponerlas en- 
comunicables, informa una sumaria y tomando las 
declaraciones de toda la tripulacion, y visitando sus 
papeles que deben contener o el numero de las paten- 
tes ; notando en ellas la cuantidad de hombres que 
contiene la tripulacion ; se pase ordenanza y sus in- 
struciones secretas, que en ellas se conocerd si el 
buque estd despedido en orden, y si acaso no tuviese 
estos documentos el buque serd sospecboso si fuere 
armado en guerra y si fuese cualesquiera presa deten- 
gase el buque sus intereses y su tripulacion hasta la 
parte, al Gobierno, con el bien entendido respectar y 
cuidar los intereses que en dicho buque se refugiasen 
en estos dominios, hasta la resolucion del Gobierno de 
B. Ayres por las costas de Chile. Se suplica a su 
Magestad Tameamea la mayor puntualidad y orden en 
estos casos. Dado este poder por el Seiior Don Hipo- 
lito Bouchard, Comandante de la Fragata Argentina 
a 6 dias del mes de Scticmbre de 1818. 

Hipaulito Bouchard. 
Se&or Don Francisco de Paula y Marin. 



IV. Muy Senor mio: he tcnido la desgracia de no 
encontrar el bergantin que iba a buscar, y solamente he 
cncontrado cuatro de los marineros de dicho buque, y 
entre ellos al cabeza principal del motin, de abordo de 
la Santa Rosa, el cual por su delito ha ido d dar cucnta 



THE BOUCHARD LETTERS. 137 

al todo poderoso, y un marinero que habia venido de 
Waooh (Oahu), con el Capitan Kery (Cary), lo tengo 
abordo. Suplico k Usted que al recibir esta si se hallan 
los tales hombres que fugaron, me los emprcsta en el 
momento, y lo mismo con algunas provisiones, como 
batatas, taros y chancho. Y Vm. formerd la cuenta de 
todo para satisfacer su importe lo mismo: que me parece 
no he pagado las tres barricas de batatas que he tornado 
dc Vmd, que sa satisfacere a mi llegada, Remito al 
Vmd. la barrica que Vmd, me empresto para medir e, 
aguardiente que se me habia olvidado. Expresiones al 
Capitan Eviet (Ebbitt) y al Capitan Devis (Davis), dc 
mi parte. Tenga Nmd, la molestia de dar muchas 
memorias al Gobernador M. Poquit (Boki) y suplicarle 
Vmd, de mi parte que me mande seis piezas de madera 
para canones como habia hablado a Vmd antes de mi 
salida, y si acaso los libra, mandeme Vmd la cuenta 
para satisfacer su importe, que merecer^ de Vmd y del 
Gobernador lo mismo. Y algunos chanchos si se 
pueden consequir en el momento. Dios guarde k 
Vmd muchos y felices anos. 

Hipaulito Bouchard. 
^'Argentina," 8 de Octubre de 1818. 
Srnor Don Francisco de Paula y Marin. 



V. M. S. M. la necesidad en que me hallo me obliga 
k molestar la atencion de Vmd. sobre cosas que nadie 
mas que Vmd puede hacer transar (transigir)? nuestras 
dificultades por el gran conocimiento que Vmd tiene 
en estos lugares, y la perfeccion que Vmd tiene para el 
idioma. Amigo, parece que el Rey y su secretario han 
enganado la bondad de — hombrede bien, sobre el palo 
que me ha dado en pago de 44 fardos de generos finos 
y seis bultes dc sederias. 



138 APPENDIX. 

Segun parece los SS Capitanes Americanos no 
quieren tomar el sangilut que Su Magestad me ha 
dado en pago de dichos efectos, y yo me veo 
precisado de Oluxxia al S. Gobernador para que 
con la persona de Vmd le haga entendcr el trato del 
sangilut, que no quieren tomar los Americanos, 61 se 
puede hacer cargo, y darle la cantidad que fuese mala 
de la que pertence al Rey: para mi todos los dias me es 
un dano terrible, y no puedo detenerme mas que hasta 
pasado mafiana, y Vmd. vea el mejor modo para este. 
Vmd. no ignora que con dos buques armad s que con- 
tienen sus tripulaciones de 290 hombres, los gastos 
son de una gran consideracion, y suben d mas de 
ciente cinquenta pesos diarios, y si el Reye ha engafiado 
su buena fe, dandome lena de quemar por sanguilut, 
cargandome a diez pesos el pico en consequencia de 
esto, todos los dias que me detenge este negocio, 
cargar6 los gastos que hago abordo de mis dos buques, 
para que el Rey me sea responsable de ellos. 

Suplicola bondad de Vmd. como hombre que entiende 
estos negocios, se aproxime al Gobernador, haciendo 
entender mis quejas y que determine en la hora misma 
de remplagar el sangilut que no fuese bueno, entre- 
gandolo al Capitan de la Fragata Sultano, Don Caleb 
Reynolds, que es la unica cosa que suplicar^ la ^d 
bondad del Senor Gobernador y en este caso. Dios 
g^uarde a Vmd muchos y felices anos. 

Hipaulito Bouchard. 
''Argentina," Setiembre 2 de 1818. 



INDKX. 



Adams, Capt., 71. 

Point, 57, 66, 79'\ 
Aikanes, 48, 87, lOl. 
Alexander, Am. brig, 76. 
Albatross, Am. ship, 68, 71. 
Aleutian Islands, 14, 29, 46, 

59., 54. 
American Colony project, 5. 

continent, r.pid peoDling 
of, 6. 

government, object of the 3. 

fleet of traders, 46. 
Americans, plan of, 5. 
Amusements of Hawaiians, 106. 
Anderson, Peter, 7, 49. 
Andromache y H. M. ship, 126. 
Animals, variety of, 68-9. 
Appendix — Bouchard Letters, 

128-38. 
Area of trading territory, 3, 4. 
Argentina, Patriot ship, 119. 

her motley crew, 121. 

attack on Monterey, 122, 

and along the coast, 123- 
126 

arrival at Valparaiso, 127. 
Ashton, Jos., goes insane, 41. 
Astor, John Jacob, 7, 8, 13, 15. 
Atkins, (Col.) expedition, 3. 
Attack on Monterey, 122. 
Attempt (second) to settle on 

the Columbia, 13. 
Awa. 104-5. 
Ayers, Capt., 68. 

Baker's Bay, 25, 57, 58. 
Baranoff, Governor, 29, 30, 34, 

37, 
Barber's Point, 100. 
Beaver (The), Astor's second 

ship, 13, 14. 
Bethune, Mr., 28, 38, 49. 



Bird Island, 73. 

Blacksmith of the Tonquin, 9, 

11, 12. 
Black whale, 52, 54. 
Boatswain oi Forester shot, 40. 
Bodago, 75^. 

Bay, SI, harbor, 82. 
Bodaree and Bo.darkee, or skin 

boats, 29, 50, 53, 54. 
Bold, 93. 

Bordeaux Packet, brig, 83^. 
Bouchard hiypolito, arrival of, 
at Hawaii, 119. 
demands the Santa Rosa, 

119. 
letters, 130-38. 
orders Griffith shot, 120. 
plundering along the Coast, 
123-26. 
Brazil Coast, 20. 
British-Canadian companies, 4. 
Brutus, Am. brig, 73. 

Calpo, chief, 58. 
Canadian lakes, 4. 
Canadians, 8D^. 
Canoe fur fleet, 47, 55. 

voyages, 53. 
Carpenter, John, 77^ 78S 79^, 

83^. 
Cape Disappointment, 14, 19, 
24, 25, 57, 58. 

Edgecomb, 75. 

Frio, 20. 

Horn, 20, 22. 

Mendocino, 81. 

Orford, 24, 77-78. 

St. Lucas, 11, 126. 

St. Vincent, 22. 
Casakas, or Cassacas, and Se- 

lechel, 27, 65. 
Cattle shoolinor restricted, 109. 



11 



INDEX. 



Ceremonies at death of high 

chief, 87. 
Chatham Straits natives, 74. 
Chcnih, \\. M. Ship, 17, 41. 
Chickeloes, 58, 6o. 
Chiefs bones, 87, 115, 117. 
Chinese fishing boats, 36. 
Chinook Indians, 27, 31, 61. 
mode of burial, 64. 
point, 58, village, 58, 59. 
women, description of, 03. 
Circumcision, rite of, observed, 

67. 
ChidsapSj (j^, ll'': 

mission to, 78^. 
Classet, 58. 

Climate of the Columbia, 67. 
Columbia river, 3, 8, 24, 47, 77=^. 
bar, 8. 42. 

establishment, 7, 14, 16, 18. 
settlement, 13. 
Columbia, schr., 19, 28, 29, 31, 
2, 34, 35, 37, 41,42,43, 
45, 47, 48, 49, 55, 69, 73, 
76, 77, S2^ 84, 84^ 88, 
89, 90. 
Comley, or Com Comley, King, 
27, 31, 42, 58, 65, m, 68. 
Conception Point, 123. 
Cook's, (Capt.),crew introduced 
disease, 105. 
harbor, 50. 
straits, 51. 
Customs of civilized nations 
imitated in liaw'n Is. 2. 
of Hav^aiians, 103. 
of Indians, 39, 74. 

Death cerem.onies of Hawaiians 

87. 
Directions entering Columbia 

river, 57. 
DistilHng, 106, first introduced 

in Hawaii, 107 
Dodd, James, lost overboard, 50. 
Drunkenness, 81^. 

Ebbets, Mr., 40 

Edgecombe, Cape and Mount, 

75. 
English flag rarely seen, 1. 



Falkland Islands, 20. 
Fatal Catastrophe, 10. 
Fence of human bones, 115. 
Fishing, Hawaiian methods of, 
111-114. 

party, a large, 111. 
Fish catching by poison. 114 
Forester, brig, 38, 39, 40, 71. 
Fort George, 27, 55. 
Fort at Oahu, 2, 71. 98. 

Monterey, 44. 

Waimea, Kauai, 88. 
Furs, chief depot for, 52. 
Fur vSeal curing, 51. 
Fur trade, The, 2, 4, 5, 16. 

activity and enterprise, 4. 

Gallipagos Islands, 94. 
Gambling, prevalence of, 106. 
Goat Island, 21. 
Governor Baranoff, 29, 30, 34. 

Kutscoff, 24, 82. 

of Monterey, 32, 33. 
Greek Church converts, 52. 
Griffiths, mutineer, 94, arrives 
at Hawaii, 95, executed 
at Kauai, 120. 

HalHbut Island, 50. 
Hawaiian house building, 91. 

produce, 69, 108, 109. 
Hawaii, arrival at 35, 39, 47, 69, 

82*. 
Hawaiians attachment to their 

chiefs, 105. 
Hawaiian superstition, 104. 
woHien described; 110. 
Harbottle, John 48, 71, 96. 
Harbor dues and pilotage, ori- 
gin of, 96. 
Heavy Cape Horn weather, 22. 
Hikanees — see Aikanes. 
Honolulu, 71, 90,96, 99, 
Human bones, fence of, 115. 
Hunt's (Mr.) Overland party 13. 
Commands the Pedlar, 46. 
Icarms, H. M. ship, 126. 
Indians' aversion to work, 67. 
customs, habit and dress, 

53, 61, 74. 
hostile intentions, 10. 



INDEX. 



Ill 



Indians of Kodiac and Oona- 
laska, 30, 50. 
savage tribes of, 76^, 81, 
weapons, 79. 
Indian tribes, 3, designs on the 
Beaver 14. 
manners and customs, 59, 
religious ideas, 67- 
massacre of tiie Tonquin^s 

crew, 11. 
prisoners executed, 42. 
tribal war averted, 68 
villages, 27, 34, 58, 59, 7(5a 
78, 
Inglis, Ellice & Co. 19. 

Isaac Todd, ship, 17, 18, 27, 
31, 41. 
deserters from, 43, 46, 
Isabella, Am. ship, ^6. 

Jameson, Jni death of 22. 
Jennings Captn. 38, trouble 
v/ith crew. 39. 
shoots the boatswain, 40, 

52, 81. 
visits the King 83a. signs 

agreement of sale, 84^. 
gives ship upto the King, 

92. 
returns from Hawaii, 95. 
J uan Fernandes, 94. 

Kaahunianu, qut^en, 16. 

brig, loadmg for China 71. 

at lionolulu, 96. 
Kaiaimoku, 83^, 84^ 90. 
Kailua, 35, 39, 47, 69, 83a. 
Kaleioku, death of, 86. 

ceremonies, 87. 

spirit visitation, 116. 
Kalo cultivation 108, 
Kamahaiolani, 88. 
Kamamalu, 47. 

Kamehameha, King of Hawaii 
16. 

advised of the Santa Rosa 
piracy, 95. 

begins the makahiki fesivi- 
ties, 101. 

boards the Columbia, 47. 

buys the Santa Rosa. 92. 



Kamehameha, clears ship of 
natives. So. 
defers purchase of the Co- 
lumbia, 83^. 
establishes harbour dues, 

etc. 96 
high priest, 103. 
orders Russians to leave, 72. 
orders ship to Ka.ai for 

sandal-wood, 88. 
personal appearance, 35. 
protects Captn. Jennin<:;s, 

40. 
receives oyster dredge, 100. 
restricts cattle shooting, 109 
welcomes the Columbians 
return, 69. 
Kapa making, 105, 
Kapu, 36, 86, 100, 
Kauai, 49, 88. 
Kaumualii, King of Kauai, 49, 

88, 89, 120. 
Kawaiahae bay, 82^. 
Kealakekua, 39, 41. 
Keeaumoku, chief of I'.Iaui, 16, 
102, 112 
Keith Mr. 77^. 
Kenopoo, 48, 70. 
Kings (The) taxes, 86. 
K:odiac 29. 

and Oonalaska Indians, 
30, 52. 
Kuwahine 112. 

Lark, ship dismasted at sea, 15. 
Lahaina, visit to, 70. 
Lapham, Lewis death of, 56. 
Laurel, H. M, ship 20, wrecked 

on Kahoolawe, 16. 
Lehina (Lahan-ia) Roads 86. 
Levant, ship, 119. 
Lewis and Clark's journey, 5, 
Liddy, r\m, schr. 46. 
Liholiho, Prince, 47, 85. 
Little, Joseph, rescued, 19. 
Loss of boat's crew, 8, 9. 

Machal Mr. 15. 

Makahiki festival S2^ 83«, 101, 

102 
Mandarin, Grand, 49. 



IV 



INDEX. 



Manini (Manning) or Don IVIarin 
48, 99,107, 109, 114, 115, 
11(3, 117. 

Massacre of Tujiquiii^s crew, 1 1. 
Maui, touch at, 70. 
Mercury, ship, 68. 
Mc. Donald, mutineer, 94, 95. 
Mc. Dougal, governor, 8, 10, 12, 
18. 

Mr. 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 49. 
Mc. Kay, or Mc Kie, Mr. 10. 
Mc. Kenzie, vir. 55. 
Mc. Lennan, Mr. 28, 49. 
Mc. Tavi&h, Donald 17, 18, 19, 
31. 

Fraser & Co. 17, fit out the 

Colur.ibla, 19. 
Mc. Tavish, James, 28. 

Jno. Geo. governor, 27. 
Mexico, Viceroy of, 33. 
Millwood^ Am. schr. 47- 
Mission of Larmel, 44. 

of Santa C ruz, 44. 
Moffitt, Mr. 8, 10. 
Monterey, 17, 32, 43. 

description and population, 
44. 

pillaged, 122. 
Morai, 83<\ 101 

Murderous Indian assault, 42. 
Mutineers delivered to the fort, 
27 

of the Santa Rosa, 94, 120. 
Mutinous plot frustrated, 23. 
Myrtle, Rus. ship, condemned 
83^ 

Nations in the fur trade, 4. 
New Albion, 76. 

Russian settlement on, 82. 
Trading with Indians of, 
77. 
Norfolk Sound, 14, 29, 31, 46, 

73, 79^ 83, 89. 
Northwest Company, 27, 28, 55 
79S 80S SIS 119. 
of Canada, 17, 18. 
Russi:n,28. 

Oahu r>attery or fort 2, 71, de.:- 
cription of, 98. 



Oahu, Island of, 96. 

tide flow. 114. 
O' Cain or O'Kean, ship, 46. 
Oonalaska, 50, 51, 52. 

habits and dress of Indians, 
53. 

Indians, skillful hunters, 54 
Ormsby Peak, 50. 
Owhyhee-see Hawaii. 

Pacific Ocean, 3, 4. 5, shores 6. 
Packet, Am. ship, 29. 
Paleioholani, King, 115. 
Pearl Oyster industry, 100. 
Pearl River, 1 1 5. 
Pearl water Inlet, 99. 
Pedlar, Am.' brig 18, 46. 
Penguin Island, 21. 
Phoibc, H. M. ship, 19. 
Piggot, Capt. 71. 
Pillage, a cruise of, 123-126. 
Pilotage, xiawaiian origin, 2, 

96. 
Pitt Mr. (Knlaimoku, which see) 
Point Gregorv, 77^. 

Pmos, 122. 
Poisoning ot crew, 126 
Policy of King Kamehameha, 2. 
Polygamy among Indians, 64. 
Pork curing, method of, 72. 
Port Trinidad 76S 78. 
Prayed to death, fear of being, 

104 
Prockley, Crptain 94. 

Racoon, H. M. ship 17, 18. 
Rainy season of I *awn. Is. 114. 
Recovery of deserters 43. 
Rescue of L.':r^'5 crew, 16. 
Rio de Janeiro, 20, 21. 
Robson. Captn. 20, 21, 23, 24. 
27, 29, 31, 32 35,37, 38. 
Russians and Kodiacs 82, 84. 
Russian colors hoisted, 72. 

designs in Sandwich Is. 2, 
46, 71. 

establii-hment, 82. 

fort at Kauai 88, at Norfolk 
Sound, 30 

Northwest Co. 28. 

trade precautions, 76. 



INDEX. 



Russian trading settlement, 4, 

14, 30, 83. 
Russians, 4, 30, 31, 34, 51,52, 

53, 71. 

at Kauai, 88. driven off, 89. 
expelled from Oahu, 72, 82. 

Sandal wood collecting, 89. 

purchasing, 47. 
Sandwich Islanders 8, 9, 25, 27 
38, 41, 69. 
dress of women, 1 J 0-1 11. 
good fighters, 122. 
human sacrifices abolished, 

102 
superstitions 103, 115, 117. 
Sandwich Islands, 1, 2, 7, 96. 
San Francisco. 17, 32 
Santa Rosa, brig, account of 
mutiny, 93-94. 
arrival at Hawaii, 92 
delivered up to Bouchard, 

119 
sails for Kauai 120, and 

Monterey 121. 
attack fort and sack the 

town, 122 
reach Valparaiso, 126. 
Scheffer, Dr., (SheOiam), 46, 

48, 72, 73, 89. 
Sea-Otters, 30, 54. 
Selechel, Q5. 
Settlers landed, 10. 
Ship tov/age into i'onolulu, 

method of, 67-8. 
Sir Francis Drake harbor, 32, 

75'\ 
Slavery among Indians, (yS. 
Smith, Capt ^27. 
Sole (or Soule), Capt , 14. 
Soledada Island, 21. 
Soosoonies, 42, 65. 
Spaniards. 32, 33, 43, 80, 122. 
Spanish crew massacred, 80. 
Spear catching, 101. 
Sperm whales seen, 42. 
St. Barbara looted, 124 
Stevenson, Wm., escaped con- 
vict, 107. 
St. Paul & St. George Islands, 
14, 51. 



Strange custom, 36. 

Surf riding experience, 112. 

Taboo or Kapu, 36, 86, 100. 
Tackum, chief, ^6. 
Tameamea, see Kamehameha. 
Tanieameah, Am. schooner pri- 
vateer, 39 
Tamoree — see Kaumualii. 
Tarrow -see Kalo. 
Taxes, 83% 102. 
Tee (or Ki) root 106. 
Thorne, Captn. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 
Tongue Point, 57. 
Tonquln, leaves New York, 7, 

off the Columbia 8, in peril, 
9. 

lands cargo 10. 

messacre of crew, 1 1 , 

wrecked 12. 
Tour v/ith Don Marin, 117. 
Trade, articles of, <Sd>. 

between N. W. Coast Sand. 
Is. and China, ] . 
Tres Marias, 126. 
Trinidad bay, 75^. 
Turner, Captn. 92, 93. 

with officers put ashore, 94 

Vancouver's observatory 32, 44. 

Waialua, 100. 
I Waianae, 89, 100. 
! Waikiki, 97. 
I Waimea, 73, 88, 89. 
I Russian fort at, 88. 

! Wampoa, schr. Cohimbia, leaves 
i 41. 

War Canoes, Indian, 69. 

West India trade, effect on, 2, 
19. 

Western Settlement's Commu- 
nication 3. 

Wild Animals, variety of, 5. 

Winship, Cr-ptn. 71. 

Woahoo, see Oahu. 

Woody Point, JO, 12, 

Young John, 40. 72, 8.3% 84-. 

107. 
Young's River, 77''. 



HONOIvUIvU, H. I. 

PUBLISHER OF THE 

HawaMaiinii^ 

^Arammiail 

A handbook of information relating- to the Ha- 
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its political, commercial, educational 
and social progress, issued reg- 
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AGENT FOR THE SALE OF 

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51I-77-2X 



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